“Smart Cities” Need Smarter Policy

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Friend,

You’ve probably heard a lot of buzz surrounding “smart cities” and the glittering, futuristic metropolises they evoke. But all too often, these Silicon Valley solutions endanger citizens and put our privacy at risk, doing little to address the infrastructure challenges faced by so many American cities.

Yesterday, S.T.O.P. launched Just Cities, a public education campaign to help communities evaluate and oppose dangerous "smart cities" technology. Produced in partnership with advocates, community members, and policymakers, our three-part framework identifies common risks of expanding municipal technology in policing, education, and transit. Where tech works, we suggest important safeguards to protect communities. Where tech is a threat, we offer arguments and resources to reject it.

So-called “smart cities” tools produce a mountain of data on city residents and their daily lives. Increasingly, police are using that information—from data tracking transit riders to data monitoring students on social media—for law enforcement purposes. Any technology police have access to should be considered policing technology. We must build municipal tech that serves community needs, not tools that facilitate police surveillance.

Join S.T.O.P. in moving from dystopian “smart cities” to the “just cities” we all deserve to live in! Check out our campaign website and spread the word through social media here.

With thanks,
Eleni Manis
Research Director

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NewsletterWilliam OwenMarch 23, 2022