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)