For decades, migration to cities from rural areas has been on the high side. This migration trend that has been observed is astonishing. However, it pales in comparison to the future of smart cities.
Smart cities are contemporary cities that harness the power of information technology to improve several aspects of human life. Smart cities reduce environmental footprints because they encourage energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. This also benefits the health of residents through the reduction of air pollution.
Smart sensors in smart cities can also be used to reduce water wastage by spotting pipe leaks. In a smart city, there is bound to be better infrastructure since systems will detect regions that need fixing.
The Privacy Dangers of a Smart City
Despite this implementation of technological advancement, there is a catch: the collection of data. Smart cities are formed with sand, concrete, and most importantly, data. A humongous amount of data is recorded from home appliances, smartphones, refuse bins, vehicles, and so on. A city holding this kind of power is bound to get involved in the misuse of data.
Let’s look at the possibilities. A smart city is touted to contain autonomous vehicles with the benefit of lessened accidents. While facing the advantage, people fail to realize that before this can be achieved, vehicles in a smart city will have to be inter-connected. Will you feel comfortable with thousands of cars tracking your location and movements?
On the issue of smart appliances in the home, it sounds great on paper. But we’ve seen instances of these devices being hacked. For instance, Amazon’s Alexa speakers were used to listen in on customers’ conversations. Samsung’s Smart Fridge was reportedly hacked by the CIA.
Smart cities are also likely to use drones as a means of surveillance. Try to imagine hundreds of drones flying across your city, monitoring every step you take. The result would be an encroachment on human rights and massive breaches of privacy.
There have been instances where smart city project outlines were rejected. In 2017, Google’s smart city project in Toronto faced push back by privacy experts after a review by an independent panel. The panel cited privacy issues as the key antagonist in Google’s project.
The Remedy to Smart Cities’ Privacy Issues
Before any smart city gets established, the planning of the city should include the residents. A body representing the people should also be consulted on privacy guidelines with the response of the residents upheld. In sections where the people feel they need change, it will have to be implemented.
After the creation of the smart city, the administration will also need to be transparent about data collection, storage, and usage. Besides, citizens can also do their part to protect their personal data. For instance, they should only give out information when necessary and use a VPN to stay private and anonymize their internet activities, especially when they are on public Wi-Fi provided by the government.
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