Geospatial information (GI) has become widely used by government, the private sector and by ordinary individuals for an increasingly diverse range of purposes.  GI forms the basis for GPS systems and maps; these in turn are used in a broad range of applications which include navigation tools, land use planning, resource management, mobile marketing, tracking and surveillance.

This project, which is funded by the GEOIDE network, brings together researchers from law, geography, engineering and geomatics to explore some of the legal and ethical issues raised by this near ubiquitous use of geospatial information.  For example, work has been done on issues around the quality of geospatial data, and its suitability for use in various contexts.

As one of the legal experts involved in the project, my work has explored issues along two main axes.  First, I have looked at questions surrounding the ownership and licensing of geospatial data. Second, I have explored issues around geospatial data and privacy, including those raised location-based services, intelligent transportation systems, and information maps.

Publications related to my work on this project can be found in my publications list under the heading geospatial/digital cartography.

Public Protection and Ethical Dissemination of Geospatial Data – Social and Legal Aspects