For years, Gwen Shaffer has been main Lengthy Seashore, Calif. residents on “information walks,” declaring public Wi-Fi routers, safety cameras, sensible water meters, and parking kiosks. The purpose, based on the professor of journalism and public relations at California State University, Long Beach, was to study how residents felt concerning the methods through which their metropolis collected information on them.
She additionally recognized a vital hole in smart city design as we speak: Whereas cities could disclose how they gather information, they hardly ever supply methods to choose out. Shaffer spoke with IEEE Spectrum concerning the expertise of main information walks, and about her analysis staff’s efforts to present residents extra management over the info collected by public applied sciences.
What was the inspiration on your information walks?
Gwen Shaffer: I started facilitating information walks in 2021. I used to be finding out residents’ consolation ranges with city-deployed applied sciences that gather personally identifiable info. My first profession as a political reporter has influenced my analysis method. I really feel strongly about conducting utilized quite than theoretical analysis. And I all the time go right into a examine with the purpose of serving to to unravel a real-world problem and inform coverage.
How did you set up the walks?
Shaffer: We posted data privacy labels with a QR code that residents can scan and learn the way 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 after I did the info walks, I talked to our individuals about how they really feel about these scanners. As a result of as soon as they’ve your license plate, when you’ve parked for fewer than two hours, you may breeze proper by. You don’t owe cash.
Responses had been contextual and typically contradictory. There have been residents who stated, “Oh, yeah. That’s so handy. It’s a time saver.” So I believe that reveals 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 individuals stated, “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 wish 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. Despite the fact that we didn’t have a immediate asking about it, individuals introduced it up on their very own in nearly each focus group. One stated, “I’d by no means connect with public Wi-Fi, particularly after town of Lengthy Seashore’s web site was hacked.”
What’s the app your staff is creating?
Shaffer: Residents need company. In order that’s what led my analysis staff to attach with privateness engineers at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh. Norman Sadeh and his staff had developed what they known as the IoT Assistant. So I advised them about our challenge, and proposed adapting their app for city-deployed applied sciences. Our plan is to present residents the chance to train their rights underneath 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 concern as “Gwen Shaffer.”
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