{"id":769266,"date":"2025-10-28T19:47:30","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T02:47:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcnews&p=769266"},"modified":"2025-10-28T19:47:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T02:47:30","slug":"lessons-on-balancing-innovation-and-ethics-in-geospatial-technology","status":"publish","type":"arcnews","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcnews\/lessons-on-balancing-innovation-and-ethics-in-geospatial-technology","title":{"rendered":"Lessons on Balancing Innovation and Ethics in Geospatial Technology"},"author":5752,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[171,430081,282062],"tags":[11062,1631,444031,209142,276802],"arcnews_issues":[493219],"class_list":["post-769266","arcnews","type-arcnews","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","category-from-the-meridian","category-geography","tag-aag","tag-collaboration","tag-ethics","tag-geographers","tag-higher-education","arcnews_issues-fall-2025","arcnews_sections-gis-people"],"acf":{"short_description":"Locational data has the dual capacity to empower and harm. Here\u2019s how to put ethics and accountability front and center.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"The rapid evolution of geospatial technology has created unprecedented opportunities for innovation, but it has also raised critical ethical challenges that demand urgent attention. As a society, how can we balance the benefits with the risks? How can we ensure that locational data serves the public interest rather than allowing financial interests to dominate? What are the responsibilities of those who use locational data?\r\n\r\nTo explore such questions, the American Association of Geographers (AAG) partnered with Esri and the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2022 to convene experts to consider the ethical issues of locational data. The group was tasked with generating examples to illustrate the inherent risks of using locational data and to provide context for educators and ethicists. One outcome was an open-source publication called \u201cLocational Data and the Public Interest<\/a>,\u201d which was recently re-released by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)\u2014a professional organization that seeks to advance technology for the benefit of humanity\u2014in IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society<\/em>.\r\n\r\nAs one of the coauthors of \u201cLocational Data and the Public Interest,\u201d I emphasize the need to center ethical considerations in both academic training and professional practice. While the report covers an array of needs\u2014from a research agenda and educational goals to regulatory recommendations and how to engage the public\u2014Section VI offers critical insight. It examines the real-world impacts of locational technologies on marginalized communities, offering invaluable case studies for fostering ethical awareness and accountability in the geospatial ecosystem. These examples underscore the importance of integrating GeoEthics\u2014a framework that prioritizes privacy, equity, and inclusivity\u2014into every stage of geospatial technology development and application."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

The Power and the Peril<\/h2>\r\nLocational data has the dual capacity to empower and harm, as vividly illustrated by examples in the report. From workplace surveillance to unintended biases in algorithmic systems, these cases reveal how technologies designed for efficiency or convenience can exacerbate existing power imbalances."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":769268,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"For instance, companies using location analytics to closely monitor worker productivity highlight the tension between operational efficiency and worker rights. The potential for data from period tracking apps to be weaponized in the United States\u2014amid tightening restrictions on reproductive health\u2014demonstrates how locational information can be repurposed for surveillance, violating personal autonomy. And when users of a free fitness app inadvertently exposed sensitive military outposts by tracking their workouts, it illustrated the risks of open data sharing without rigorous ethical review.\r\n\r\nThese cases are not anomalies but are rather emblematic of systemic issues in the geospatial ecosystem. Studying them provides concrete material for educators and trainers to explore the societal implications of locational data, moving beyond abstract principles to grounded, actionable discussions."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Teaching GeoEthics by Example<\/h2>\r\nThe examples noted in \u201cLocational Data and the Public Interest\u201d serve as powerful tools for academic instruction and professional training. By embedding concrete case studies into curricula, educators can:\r\n