As cities adopt more “smart” technology to manage infrastructure and improve public services, action on a range of policy choices – such as improving collaboration and being more transparent about technology capabilities and citizen data use – can help to alleviate citizens’ concerns about data privacy and the costs of tech deployments, the Government Accountability Office said.
Some smart technologies are being used by cities and other local jurisdictions to improve transportation and law enforcement services by tracking the volume and speed of vehicles traveling on roads, and by deploying automatic license plate readers and acoustic gunshot detection systems.
But according to an April 30 report from GAO, the use of these technologies has aroused concerns about civil liberty impacts and other challenges such as scalability and efficacy.
“Those cities using smart technologies may collect large quantities of data obtained either directly or purchased from data brokers,” wrote GAO. “Experts stated that transparency on the use of technologies and controls around managing data is important to successful implementation. Because data from some smart technologies can potentially be used to identify individuals, cities also face issues related to privacy and civil liberties.”
Tech deployment challenges also include the high cost of some technologies, their scalability across large areas, limited transparency with data governance and management, and competition for scarce government resources.
“[E]xperts stated that cities generally lack transparency because they do not provide information to individuals or the public about the technologies and their intended use by entities with access to this data,” said GAO. “Experts also stated that when individuals are told smart technologies will be implemented, they are told of the potential benefits but not the potential risks.”
Amid data concerns, the Federal watchdog also pointed out that the public is generally not informed about what data is collected and who owns it – especially since data collected may be owned by vendors.
“Transparency may reduce the chance that use of the technologies will be disrupted due to misconceptions about their use,” GAO said, while also noting that the multiple approaches necessary to inform citizens about the technology could become “prohibitively expensive.”
Some ways to improve transparency, GAO said, include creating privacy advisory boards to conduct research on technologies, requiring that data brokers receive consent from those whose data is collected, GAO said.
“Elected officials could also work to specify limitations on the use of smart technologies and the data they collect in cities’ contracts with vendors,” the report says.
Other suggestions GAO received from experts included allowing citizens to consent to the use of their data when possible and ensuring that cities have citizens data sufficiently secured against cyber threats.
Another policy recommendation from GAO encourage data governance through sharing effective practices or standards, and training city procurement officials on data governance practices including those involving citizen consent.