If you live in or plan on visiting the greater Chicago area, you’re going to see strange artwork on Michigan Ave. Wait, that’s not artwork.
Those metal sculptures are masking data sensors. They’re going to measure downtown Chicago’s air quality, weather, light and sound. Sounds pretty good, right? Did you know these data collecting sensors are counting people via cell phone traffic? As you can imagine, privacy advocates know it, and they’re not liking it. But sensors insists these sensors are counting quality and not recording addresses and other personal info.? Scientist say the sensors will help make the city safer, even give the city technological advances. Chicago wants these sensors to start set-up by mid-July 2014.
I can understand where the privacy concerns come from. But don’t they already have surveillance cameras throughout the city, and just about every other city in the western world? And who is going to pay for these sensors? I’m assuming these weren’t gifts. And Chicago wants to be the leader in sensor technology. So this mean they expect other cities to follow the lead. If they do, how will they use them? I’d love to take their word for it: they’re doing this for the health and welfare of the city. But with so much controversy about surveillance, I don’t know what or who to believe anymore. What do you believe?