Google Earth: twenty years of digital exploration

The first global search engine aligns birthdays! This time, it’s Google Earth is celebrating its twenty years. This tool allows everyone to fly over the planet, to jump from one continent to another or to go back in time thanks to historical satellite images.

Since its launch, Google Earth has democratized access to satellite images. The user can observe the evolution of cities, forests or glaciers, visualize the consequences of climate change and measure rampant urbanization. More info on the Google site.

Google recently enriched its service with an interactive chronological frieze. This feature sometimes makes it possible to compare the state of a place between 1984 and today, sometimes revealing spectacular transformations.

An educational tool

Beyond simple curiosity, Google Earth stands out as an educational tool. Teachers use it to illustrate geography lessons or educate students about the environment.

Companies and communities also use it to plan projects or monitor the evolution of the territory. Access to this data, formerly reserved for experts, is now within everyone’s reach.

Challenges for the future

Despite its assets, Google Earth has raised and still raises questions on privacy and data management. The company must guarantee the security of information while continuing innovation.

Twenty years after its creation, Google Earth continues to evolve. This service illustrates the power of digital to better understand our world, but also recalls the need for responsible use of digital information.

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