Making L.A. a Smarter City
L.A. Controller Ron Galperin released a new report urging the City to strengthen its focus on protecting local residents’ privacy as it modernizes services and operations. “Protecting Privacy Makes a Smarter L.A.” points out that, while new “smart” technologies used by the City — including police department body cameras and license plate readers, fire department drones, surveillance cameras and real-time traffic data collection devices — can help make local government more efficient, they also put individual privacy at risk by collecting and analyzing potentially sensitive information. Controller Galperin called for Los Angeles to create a clear and unified framework for evaluating and addressing privacy risks to better protect Angelenos.
Although the City is in the process of developing some policies concerning smart technologies, L.A.’s current approach to privacy is scattered with each City department deciding what technologies it needs to collect information and how to use them. Controller Galperin noted that this inconsistent approach is both disorganized and risky — creating unnecessary privacy concerns for Angelenos and lessening government accountability for its actions. He noted that there is no oversight body to assess the use of surveillance tools and no centralized way to define or inventory all the technologies the City uses.
“Angelenos deserve a more modern and user-friendly city, but they also need to be absolutely sure that their government isn’t collecting and storing private information about them without a plan and without their knowledge,” said Controller Galperin. “Los Angeles can and must do better managing the smart technologies it uses to monitor traffic flow and bolster public safety while also protecting residents’ privacy. Real oversight and a unified approach to privacy issues will both safeguard sensitive information and engender greater public trust.”
https://lacontroller.org/audits-and-reports/protecting-privacy/