Arzu Nazar Türkeş 2669356 1 While smart cities provide vary benefits, they are more likely to harm the individuals in such cases. As technology represents extensive rise in decades, it may causes some concerns about privacy and social inequality in such cases where people use it such as smart cities. Firstly, data collection is fundamental of smart cities. Without data collection, it is impossible to upgrade smart cities. Therefore, it is a way of watching people, observing them which can causes privacy concerns. People’s private information collecting in a field where everyone can not reach. However, there can be some data collectors which can reach sensitive informations. It is essential to notice that this type of collectors can spread misinformation or intimate details about people. The inevitable outcome of this situation is that people will feel fear and pressure. Also, they may think like every time they access a computer generated application, their information are stolen. It can create a sense of fear in people’s mind. As Albaş (2023) mentioned that smart cities should be clear about which data is being collected, and how it will be used, that can create a social bond in people’s life. Smart cities should consider that people’s informations are pivotal and spreading these informations can effect entire world. Secondly, there is not only private concerns but also social inequality that smart cities will bring. It is also a crucial drawback for human life. Data collection can reaches and touches everyone, especially people that are living in urban areas. They are more likely to suffer from this issue. They can not reah private wi-fi connection, they should use merely general wi-fi which governments or corporations are monitoring and manipulating poor people by using this way. As Green (2023) asserts that there is a wi-fi which can reach only rich or high-class people. The otherside of city, the poor and low-class people may reach solely free wi-fi which will collects their private data (p. 81). It can bring about inequalitiesin society. Governments can not convey with these people because of this neglected and deprived areas. In addition to that consequence, according to the video by CNBC International (2017) one example of using cameras to collect data is in Singapore. Government will include more cameras to monitor crowd compactness (0. 34). The first idea comes to mind is that it is perfect for detecting criminals but it is also a social inequality. Cameras are monitoring full street, people’s body from top to the bottom. The high-class people usually do not appear in the streets. However, low-class or even mid-class people should use streets for maybe arriving their home. Their body movements are observed by governments or corporations. In conclusion, with technological advances, smart cities can be used with bad intents. There are beneficial facts smart cities may offer that people can not deny. However, the drawbacks of it outweight the advantages of it. Most important concerns are about privacy and social inequality. As Green (2023) points out that if government take action, internet or technology corporations can not gain intimate details about people’s lives (p. 81). 2 References Albaş, Ö. (2023). From science fiction to realitiy: How smart cities are revolutionizing urban In Ö. Albaş, & E. Aksoy, The forefront: Achieving academic success (2nd ed., pp. 7073). Pelikan Publishing. CNBC International. (2017, February 9). What is a smart city? CNBC explains. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bANfnYDTzxE Green,B. (2023). The responsible city: Avoiding technology’s undemocratic social contracts. In Ö. Albaş, & E. Aksoy, The forefront: Achiving academic success 1 (2nd ed., pp. 79-81). Pelikan Publishing. (Adapted from The smart enough city: Putting technology in its place to reclaim our urban future, pp. 91-116, by B. Green, 2019, MIT Press)
