Lots of Data Collected on People – Including You - Using “Smart” Roads and Public Transportation Systems

By B.N. Frank

Activist Post has reported already about the many and increasing ways that data is being collected on all of us without our knowledge and/or consent. This data is often being sold to 3^rd parties to analyze so they can try to sell us more products. This is sometimes referred to as “Surveillance Capitalism.”

Utility companies have bragged about being able to collect customer data with their “Smart” Meters. These meters have plenty of other issues in addition to privacy violation (see 1, 2, 3). “Smart Cities” are intentionally built to collect data 24/7 on all residents and visitors whether they like it or not.

A recent article from Nextgov.com confirmed what has already been reported many times before:

Report: Smart Transportation Systems Pose ‘Profound’ Privacy Risks

Governments are collecting lots of data on the people using roads, trains and buses, and without proper oversight, that information could easily be misused.

As Americans hand over more of their personal data to use public transportation systems, the government must do more to ensure their privacy is being protected, according to a recent report.

The rise of smart cities has connected more public infrastructure to the internet, creating numerous opportunities to collect data on the people using the country’s roads, subways and buses. While cities could use real-time tracking to reduce congestion and improve transportation systems, researchers at IDC worry those practices could also render anonymity a thing of the past.

In a report titled “Surveillance Avenue—Urban Mobility and Addressing the Erosion of Privacy,” researchers said it’s becoming difficult for people to use public transportation systems without surrendering at least some of their personal data. Facial recognition cameras, license plate readers, mobile phone data and other technologies are increasingly used to track people as they move through the world, and combined with other datasets, that information could paint an incredibly intimate picture of an individual’s life.

[…]

Lawmakers have introduced a slew of bills aimed at strengthening privacy protections in recent months, but they have yet to take any meaningful steps toward enacting a national framework. That said, calls to rein in the government’s use of facial recognition software have gained momentum on Capitol Hill, and lawmakers from both parties appear eager to regulate the tech.

All the wireless devices, sensors, and infrastructure needed for anything “Smart” emit harmful sources of Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) or “Electrosmog”. Research has already proven that exposure to these emissions is harmful biologically and environmentally. Argh.