Smart cities may mean that the data of people living in it may be accessible to just about anyone. The pros and cons of smart cities are still being debated heavily. Cities across the world have started with the first steps to implementing smart data gathering. Majority of these tools are used so that local governments may be able to determine which local services need improvement.
The data obtained from these tools help urban planners see which parts of the cities are in need of repairs or intervention. This technology is not just limited to data that can be gathered for infrastructure. It can also gather enough data about the actual people living within a certain area.
Smart cities mean all forms of technology may communicate with each other to form a superpower data set.
Who owns the data and who has access to them?
The biggest concern for smart cities is data privacy. Presently, there are very few legal safety nets in place for data privacy around the world.
No one is sure as to the actual possessor and owner of the data that smart city technologies gather. Some suspect that it is owned by the technology providers. Other suspects that the city actually owns the data for the development of cities.
Nevertheless, these data sets are still susceptible to breach. Any ill-willed person may go the distance to hack through the systems in order to make money off of the datasets. Moreover, most marketing professionals would allocate huge amounts of funds to get a hold of those data sets.
One step at a time
The usual first implementation of smart cities is on sidewalks. The main purpose of these is to gather the number of pedestrians that go through a certain path every day.
The data eventually gets crunched to determine whether a detour or a new path is needed to be built. The scare on privacy starts with these steps. According to an expert, the data can never determine the identity of the person making the step on the patch.
Including a camera system directed towards the pavement, patch takes the data gathering into a surveillance system.
Coronavirus detection using smart cities
Still, some pundits believe that these systems are needed in smart cities. Experts claim that the present pandemic could be mitigated at the onset if smart cities have the systems in place.
Smart cities may be able to actively trace the people that Coronavirus positive patients have gotten in contact with. The positives of technology are undeniable.
The only question left to be answered is can the owners of these useful data sets ensure the safety of the people residing in smart cities.
Source: https://micky.com.au/smart-cities-blur-the-line-on-data-privacy-of-citizen/
