Private information in public spaces: Facial recognition in the times of smart urban governance

Cities are the stage of a curious phenomenon in which people feel at the same time at home and like complete strangers. A city provides simultaneously the familiarity of its residents concerning places and people and the possibility of living in relative anonymity. However, the last few decades hav...

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Main Author: Juliana NOVAES
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pro Universitaria 2021-02-01
Series:Smart Cities and Regional Development Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scrd.eu/index.php/scrd/article/view/94
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author Juliana NOVAES
author_facet Juliana NOVAES
author_sort Juliana NOVAES
collection DOAJ
description Cities are the stage of a curious phenomenon in which people feel at the same time at home and like complete strangers. A city provides simultaneously the familiarity of its residents concerning places and people and the possibility of living in relative anonymity. However, the last few decades have been accompanied by an increase in the use of information and communication technologies in the infrastructure and functioning of urban centers around the world. There has been a move towards the development of the commercial ecosystem of so-called smart cities, with the public administration increasingly partnering with private corporations to offer solutions in public services that involve the processing of personal data from citizens. Objectives: This paper aims to discuss the new dilemmas that arrive with the growth of surveillance technologies applied to urban centers and the increasing participation of the private sector in the processing of data whose origin lies within public services. Prior work:  In order to accomplish so, this article analyzes this phenomenon from a capitalism surveillance framework perspective, in light of international data protection standards and with a primary focus on the analysis of the processing of citizens' data in the provision of public services Approach: The main approaches used are literature review and case studies. The first section will be dedicated to the discussion about the concept of “smart citiesâ€; the second section will bring up the study of three cases about the implementation of facial recognition in the public transport system of the city of Sao Paulo; and the third and fourth sections are dedicated to the analysis of the legitimacy, risks, political and social implications of this type of surveillance practices. Results: As a result, this paper points to some of the issues that arise with the implementation of surveillance technologies in public services, such as the invasions of individuals’ rights of privacy and freedom of expression. Implications: The study offers an opportunity for researchers and policymakers to have a perspective on how these practical cases reflect some of the academic discussions around surveillance in smart cities. Value: This paper, therefore, offers an original analysis of three existing cases and their insertion into a broader discussion of surveillance in urban centers and some of the risks involved.
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spelling doaj-art-d8e8fdfe619743d8a79e6d5dffda8d562025-08-20T03:24:16ZengPro UniversitariaSmart Cities and Regional Development Journal2537-38032021-02-015110.25019/scrd.v5i1.94Private information in public spaces: Facial recognition in the times of smart urban governanceJuliana NOVAES0University of Sao Paulo Cities are the stage of a curious phenomenon in which people feel at the same time at home and like complete strangers. A city provides simultaneously the familiarity of its residents concerning places and people and the possibility of living in relative anonymity. However, the last few decades have been accompanied by an increase in the use of information and communication technologies in the infrastructure and functioning of urban centers around the world. There has been a move towards the development of the commercial ecosystem of so-called smart cities, with the public administration increasingly partnering with private corporations to offer solutions in public services that involve the processing of personal data from citizens. Objectives: This paper aims to discuss the new dilemmas that arrive with the growth of surveillance technologies applied to urban centers and the increasing participation of the private sector in the processing of data whose origin lies within public services. Prior work:  In order to accomplish so, this article analyzes this phenomenon from a capitalism surveillance framework perspective, in light of international data protection standards and with a primary focus on the analysis of the processing of citizens' data in the provision of public services Approach: The main approaches used are literature review and case studies. The first section will be dedicated to the discussion about the concept of “smart citiesâ€; the second section will bring up the study of three cases about the implementation of facial recognition in the public transport system of the city of Sao Paulo; and the third and fourth sections are dedicated to the analysis of the legitimacy, risks, political and social implications of this type of surveillance practices. Results: As a result, this paper points to some of the issues that arise with the implementation of surveillance technologies in public services, such as the invasions of individuals’ rights of privacy and freedom of expression. Implications: The study offers an opportunity for researchers and policymakers to have a perspective on how these practical cases reflect some of the academic discussions around surveillance in smart cities. Value: This paper, therefore, offers an original analysis of three existing cases and their insertion into a broader discussion of surveillance in urban centers and some of the risks involved. https://scrd.eu/index.php/scrd/article/view/94facial recognitionpersonal datapublic servicessurveillancesmart cities
spellingShingle Juliana NOVAES
Private information in public spaces: Facial recognition in the times of smart urban governance
Smart Cities and Regional Development Journal
facial recognition
personal data
public services
surveillance
smart cities
title Private information in public spaces: Facial recognition in the times of smart urban governance
title_full Private information in public spaces: Facial recognition in the times of smart urban governance
title_fullStr Private information in public spaces: Facial recognition in the times of smart urban governance
title_full_unstemmed Private information in public spaces: Facial recognition in the times of smart urban governance
title_short Private information in public spaces: Facial recognition in the times of smart urban governance
title_sort private information in public spaces facial recognition in the times of smart urban governance
topic facial recognition
personal data
public services
surveillance
smart cities
url https://scrd.eu/index.php/scrd/article/view/94
work_keys_str_mv AT juliananovaes privateinformationinpublicspacesfacialrecognitioninthetimesofsmarturbangovernance