1 9 9 9 ▁making ▁it ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁companies ▁in ▁the ▁online ▁ge ol ocation ▁industry . ▁ ▁Not or iety ▁▁ ▁Ge oby tes ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁companies ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁global ▁IP ▁address ▁location ▁database ▁by ▁overlay ing ▁ge ographic ▁user ▁data ▁on ▁to ▁a ▁map ▁of ▁the ▁internet ' s ▁infrastr ucture . ▁This ▁enabled ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁key ▁differenti ating ▁features ▁of ▁Ge oby tes ' ▁IP ▁location ▁technology ▁in ▁that ▁it ▁facil itated ▁a ▁shift ▁of ▁focus ▁from ▁the ▁physical ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁Internet ’ s ▁devices ▁to ▁the ▁ge ographic ▁‘ service ▁area ’ ▁of ▁those ▁devices ▁ ▁Con sequently , ▁Ge oby tes ▁has ▁played ▁a ▁significant ▁role ▁in ▁sh aping ▁the ▁Internet ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁its ▁an onym ity ▁and ▁with ▁regards ▁to ▁regul atory ▁comp liance ▁and ▁the ▁juris diction ▁of ▁govern ments ▁over ▁online ▁content . ▁Its ▁technology ▁has ▁been ▁c ited ▁in ▁numerous ▁government ▁and ▁legal ▁documents ▁as ▁‘ ev idence ’ ▁that ▁‘ Ge ol ocation ’ ▁of ▁the ▁Internet ▁is ▁possible . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁commercial ▁applications , ▁Ge oby tes ’ ▁technology ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁used ▁in ▁both ▁civil ▁and ▁criminal ▁court ▁proceed ings , ▁in ▁law ▁enfor cement , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁missing ▁persons . ▁ ▁Ge oby tes ▁is ▁widely ▁referenced ▁– ▁According ▁to ▁Google ▁web master ▁tools , ▁as ▁of ▁the ▁July ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁there ▁were ▁ 2 4 4 0 5 ▁external