Refute nonsensical discussions on intelligent trash cans
Revamped Article:
Got wind of London giving Renew, maker of the city's "smart" trash cans, a solid kick in the pants to halt the data snooping from nearby smartphones.
"Enough with the data snooping – even if it's anonymous – it's got to stop," the City of London Corporation blared in a public declaration.
Now, I don't necessarily condone privacy invasions, but I think this one's a tad excessive.
First off, Renew's test run wrapped up a couple moons back. The City of London should've been aware since it granted Renew permission to operate, so the grandstanding statement reeks of posturing.
Secondly, Renew didn't exactly carry out the trials in hush-hush secrecy. They launched no less than two press releases about their plan, neither of which created a peep at the time.
Thirdly, when the BBC praised the use of anonymized, aggregated mobile phone data to optimize Ivorian bus routes earlier this year, it was universally hailed as a smart use of "big data." Granted, Renew's smart cans don't boast the same noble public service angle, but advertising is a legit business move, let's get that straight.
Seems like it was an article on Quartz that sparked the recent media frenzy. Quartz, to its credit, was ambivalent, but after the recent NSA revelations, the press has a voracious appetite for infuriating news.
Hardly anyone except Big Brother Watch called Renew out for misdeeds, but the language implies guilt.
I chatted with Renew's CEO, Kaveh, and he's a touch bewildered by the uproar. The company sought to experiment with a sneaky, anonymous way to track ad reach. The technology, borrowed from another London start-up called Presence Orb, had never seen daylight outdoors. Now it has. The apocalypse was avoided.
Transparency is key to restoring trust in data analytics, and Deloitte hardly needs to tell us that in its Data Nation report. But when a company does its best to be upfront, issuing press releases and talking to reporters, and yet still gets criticized in the headlines, you wonder what else they could do.
Innovative tech like smart trash cans can provide plenty of benefits, but collecting and using personal data without full transparency and clear consent is a potential PR nightmare. Renew's actions might not have been entirely justified without further steps to guarantee public trust and adherence to privacy standards.
Key Insights:- Ethical data collection usually means transparency about the methods and consent from users. Renew faced backlash for perceived invasions of privacy due to a lack of transparency and consent.- Companies should need to address privacy concerns pro-actively, rather than reacting only after substantial public outcry.- The potential benefits of using innovative technologies should be balanced against the ethical implications of data privacy concerns.
In the realm of data-and-cloud-computing, the importance of transparency in ethical data collection cannot be overstated. This gathering of personal data without full transparency and clear consent, as demonstrated by Renew, could unwittingly escalate into a lifestyle-altering PR crisis.
Moreover, it is crucial for companies, especially those pioneering technology like smart trash cans, to proactively address privacy concerns rather than simply reacting to public outcry. By doing so, they can ensure their innovation aligns with societal expectations and promotes a lifestyle that respects individual privacy.
