For years, Gwen Shaffer has been main Lengthy Seashore, Calif. residents on “information walks,” stating public Wi-Fi routers, safety cameras, sensible water meters, and parking kiosks. The aim, in accordance with the professor of journalism and public relations at California State University, Long Beach, was to be taught how residents felt concerning the methods by which their metropolis collected information on them.
She additionally recognized a vital hole in smart city design immediately: Whereas cities might disclose how they gather information, they not often supply methods to choose out. Shaffer spoke with IEEE Spectrum concerning the expertise of main information walks, and about her analysis group’s efforts to provide residents extra management over the info collected by public applied sciences.
What was the inspiration to your information walks?
Gwen Shaffer: I started facilitating information walks in 2021. I used to be learning residents’ consolation ranges with city-deployed applied sciences that gather personally identifiable data. My first profession as a political reporter has influenced my analysis strategy. I really feel strongly about conducting utilized fairly than theoretical analysis. And I at all times go right into a research with the aim of serving to to unravel a real-world problem and inform coverage.
How did you arrange the walks?
Shaffer: We posted data privacy labels with a QR code that residents can scan and learn how their information are getting used. Downtown, they’re in Spanish and English. In Cambodia Town, we did them in Khmer and English.
What occurred through the walks?
Shaffer: I’ll offer you one instance. In a few the city-owned parking garages, there are automated license-plate readers on the entrance. So once I did the info walks, I talked to our contributors about how they really feel about these scanners. As a result of as soon as they’ve your license plate, for those who’ve parked for fewer than two hours, you’ll be able to breeze proper by way of. You don’t owe cash.
Responses have been contextual and generally contradictory. There have been residents who mentioned, “Oh, yeah. That’s so handy. It’s a time saver.” So I believe that exhibits how residents are keen to make trade-offs. Intellectually, they hate the concept of the privateness violation, however in addition they love comfort.
What stunned you most?
Shaffer: One of many contributors mentioned, “After I go to the airport, I can choose out of the facial scan and nonetheless be capable to get on the airplane. But when I need to take part in so many actions within the metropolis and never have my information collected, there’s no possibility.”
There was a cyberattack against the city in November 2023. Regardless that we didn’t have a immediate asking about it, folks introduced it up on their very own in virtually each focus group. One mentioned, “I’d by no means connect with public Wi-Fi, particularly after town of Lengthy Seashore’s website was hacked.”
What’s the app your group is creating?
Shaffer: Residents need company. In order that’s what led my analysis group to attach with privateness engineers at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh. Norman Sadeh and his group had developed what they known as the IoT Assistant. So I instructed them about our mission, and proposed adapting their app for city-deployed applied sciences. Our plan is to provide residents the chance to train their rights below the California Consumer Privacy Act with this app. So they may say, “Passport Parking app, delete all the info you’ve already collected on me. And don’t gather any extra sooner or later.”
This text seems within the December 2025 print challenge as “Gwen Shaffer.”
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