A Political Economic Critique of Google Maps and Google Earth

Using a political economic approach to communication, this paper critiques the Google company by examining Google Maps and Google Earth. Academic, media and daily lives discourses tend to ask three questions about Google. First, what other services does Google provide in addition to a search engine? Second, is Google an unconventional company? Third, does Google provide free information? By examining the development of Google Maps and Google Earth from an historical perspective, and by situating technological development in a broader socioeconomic context, the paper argues that Google employs a wide array of strategies to stay competitive in the information industry.