Would you live in a place that collects your data?

[Sherwood_Archer]

And I am talking about "smart cities". I was reading this article > https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/11/google-sidewalk-labs/575551/

It says: Soon enough, we’ll have a smart city: Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is building one “from the internet up,” with help from a series of private-public real-estate partnerships in the downtown Toronto neighborhood Quayside.

The “vision document” imagines not only the revitalization of a 12-acre plot that has sat largely vacant since its heyday as an industrial port, but its transformation into a micro-city outfitted with smart technologies that will use data to disrupt everything from traffic congestion to health care, housing, zoning regulations, and greenhouse-gas emissions.

But all those data require mechanisms to collect them, and the march to an “always on” city has drawn an onslaught of accusations against Sidewalk Labs and its real-estate partner, Waterfront Toronto, for dismissing privacy concerns and misinforming residents. In the past month, four people have resigned from Waterfront Toronto’s and Sidewalk Labs’ advisory board over concerns about privacy and lack of public input.
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If you were informed beforehand about all these privacy concerns, would you still live in a "smart" city that is supposedly convenient and "smart" to live in?

[Blanca_Gregory]

Depends on how much of my privacy I need to sacrifice and depends on how "smart" this city is going to be. For example, China is becoming a technologically advanced city but the residents seemed like they are living straight out of Black Mirror. I don't think that's a city I want to live in regardless of how "smart" the city is.

[Coinifyx]

Most providers are obligated to store network data for law, everything is already monitored

[FilesFM_Announcements]

Pandoras box has been opened regardless... AI, smart interconnected devices are nearly upon all of us.. in one form or another.. we sold our privacy down the drain years ago.. and can't turn back now.. so... bring it on... its going to happen with or without your consent anyway, in a neighbourhood near you eventually.

[countryfree]

No, and I've left countries where they wanted me to register. I've also turned off mobile data on my smartphone. Everybody should do it.

[SnowAugustine]

Depends on how much of my privacy I need to sacrifice and depends on how "smart" this city is going to be. For example, China is becoming a technologically advanced city but the residents seemed like they are living straight out of Black Mirror. I don't think that's a city I want to live in regardless of how "smart" the city is.

Ah yes, with their social standing credit thing... They are like living in a prequel to a Dystopian novel and they are not even aware of it because it appears to them that what they are doing is something normal. They appear to embrace Big Brother with open arms.

[redempti00]

Pandoras box has been opened regardless... AI, smart interconnected devices are nearly upon all of us.. in one form or another.. we sold our privacy down the drain years ago.. and can't turn back now.. so... bring it on... its going to happen with or without your consent anyway, in a neighbourhood near you eventually.

I sort of agree with this. When we purchased our smartphones and created social media profiles, we also agreed to lose a part of our privacy. It's already out there. They already have our information out there. This having a smart city will just make it official and known to us that our data is accessible for everyone. What do you think?

[virendarnagpal]

Privacy is my fundamental right.  But not at the cost of other's independence / safety.  If everybody is unknown to the system how the system (government) will be able to control and trace  the crime of any kind.
Government must have data enough to trace a criminal to save the interests / lives of others.

[Alexandra Abramova]

I think I’m today world we can’t escape from this matter. Because all information about us have already put into internet !

[Thekool1s]

Lol, I find the question funny. Aren't we already "living" on something where each and every click is being monitored. E.g Google tracks your cursor behaviour to distinguish between a Bot and human. So moving into a monitored city won't be much different iyam.

[iknowsatoshe]

For the time being it is true that governments take advantage of every technological innovation and most importantly they exploit personal data accumulated by big companies (google, facebook, amazon etc.) because it has the means to do so. That’s why I strongly believe in what blockchain technology has to offer and the need of blockchain- based projects, I recently came across tapnetwork and mf2x protocol (I could be wrong about the names..) claiming to be able to prevent any governmental and institutional control over our sensitive data by not storing them in the “cloud” supported by traditional tech companies. So if we manage to find a solution and build a blockchain-based smart city, where I would choose who has access to my data, I could live with that.

[criza]

First and foremost, I don't think that everything must be collected and gathered especially data that directly invading someone's privacy. Second and also important point, of course if there will be 'smart city', then the government will surely take control of it. No, will take full control of it. Thus, they can use it to harm others. They may become abusive knowing how large their power is when it comes to personal data of each and everyone. Thirdly, if the government will take full control of it without any bad intentions, how sure they are that no hacker will ever access the system, that it is secured and free of trouble. How? Finally, the real question would be, why they need to do that 'smart city'? Are there enough reasons why? Is it really necessary?

[SCheek]

And I am talking about "smart cities". I was reading this article > https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/11/google-sidewalk-labs/575551/

It says: Soon enough, we’ll have a smart city: Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is building one “from the internet up,” with help from a series of private-public real-estate partnerships in the downtown Toronto neighborhood Quayside.

The “vision document” imagines not only the revitalization of a 12-acre plot that has sat largely vacant since its heyday as an industrial port, but its transformation into a micro-city outfitted with smart technologies that will use data to disrupt everything from traffic congestion to health care, housing, zoning regulations, and greenhouse-gas emissions.

But all those data require mechanisms to collect them, and the march to an “always on” city has drawn an onslaught of accusations against Sidewalk Labs and its real-estate partner, Waterfront Toronto, for dismissing privacy concerns and misinforming residents. In the past month, four people have resigned from Waterfront Toronto’s and Sidewalk Labs’ advisory board over concerns about privacy and lack of public input.
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If you were informed beforehand about all these privacy concerns, would you still live in a "smart" city that is supposedly convenient and "smart" to live in?

You imply we have a choice. In the west (and increasingly in the east) we're being monitored more than ever.

[ATMD]

I think I’m today world we can’t escape from this matter. Because all information about us have already put into internet !

I feel the same way, almost all our information is collected by Google.

[goldSkylark]

With our social media profiles, we freely share so much about ourselves already. Does privacy really matter if sharing some of our data, will benefit society as a whole? I think the benefits of living in a smart city outweigh any risks of sharing some data, right?

[coolcoinz]

Lol, I find the question funny. Aren't we already "living" on something where each and every click is being monitored. E.g Google tracks your cursor behaviour to distinguish between a Bot and human. So moving into a monitored city won't be much difference iyam.

Exactly.
Every single click is tracked and recorded and you can't get away from it.
As soon as I have a bit more time, I'll try to write a post for real paranoids who want to reveal the least possible of their personal data on the Internet.

I think that you guys don't know how a data collection in the so called smart city would look like. At the moment only certain things are being collected, like your emails. There's cookies, search trackers that know what things you're interested in and send you personalized ads.
In a smart city you are being tracked by every part of your home. There are already smart home kits that you can install on your own and I've seen them work. In short, you are carrying a gps tracker at all times with you and in your car. The system recognizes that you're coming home and opens the gate and the garage door, turns on the lights and central heating. Lights turn off when you leave the room, not based on motion detectors like they do now, but on your presence in the room.
 
The ideas is to increase this level of tech interference to the point where your fridge scans labels of the products that you put in and sends information to the manufacturers, so that they can make you a special offer. Like when they see that you like twinkies very much they can give you a discount and sent them to your door every day, along with the newspaper and milk.

[TACIXAT]

The reason we have so much data collection is that there is no viable way to pay the cost of computation. It does not take much to store some data. It does not take much to deliver a news article. With online payment processors taking 30 cents and 3% on every transaction you just end up with 10$ per month subscriptions. So we face expensive subscriptions or surveillance. I would love to pay a reasonable price for all the online services, but we just don't have the infrastructure for it. I would much rather live in a smart city that was full of micro transactions than a surveillance state.

[White Christmas]

Depends on how much of my privacy I need to sacrifice and depends on how "smart" this city is going to be. For example, China is becoming a technologically advanced city but the residents seemed like they are living straight out of Black Mirror. I don't think that's a city I want to live in regardless of how "smart" the city is.

I think so also because it seems like your life will be control by the government or that smart city that you are talking. Even it is for the sake of all the people in that city the freedom will be limited once if happened because you have to give all your data for them. Your privacy will be nonsense because they have already know it.

[elastiman]

This new "smart cities" should be called "green smart cities". Hell no I don't want to live in some smart city no matter how good their tech is. You would be tracked on everything you do, not just your fingerprint and iris scan is going to be tracked but your anal print too for me that invasion of privacy

[WillyZ]

There are many examples on how blockchain technology and other smart solutions will improve citizens' everyday life. Georgia has implemented blockchain technology into its landownership authentication system, making the process of landownership 400 times faster than the traditional method. Other examples include Denmark that has implemented blockchain in its voting system, making it incorruptible or Estonia that has implemented the blockchain technology in the healthcare system. Other aspects related to public sector and society in general will inevitably be affected and improved by the implementation of blockchain, such as energy and waste management, transportation, citizens ID management, just to name a few. In this respect, smart city is synonymous with progress and improved quality of life. I attended last year's edition of Blockwalks, the European Conference focusing on blockchain and other smart solutions for the public sector and it was really interesting, of the keynote speakers was Nick Szabo, the developer of smart contracts. Its second edition will be held at Bratislava Castle, in October. If you are interested you can check their website!