If you’re a NYC resident and find yourself excited about the city’s public Wi-Fi network known as LinkNYC, you may want to think again.
As the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) notes:
March 16, 2016 — The city’s new public Wi-Fi network LinkNYC raises several privacy concerns for users, the New York Civil Liberties Union announced today after sending a letter to the Office of the Mayor on Tuesday. CityBridge, the company behind the LinkNYC kiosks that have begun replacing phone booths in Manhattan, retains a vast amount of information about users – often indefinitely – building a massive database that carries a risk of security breaches and unwarranted NYPD surveillance.
“New Yorkers’ private online activities shouldn’t be used to create a massive database that’s within the ready grasp of the NYPD,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the NYCLU. “Free public Wi-Fi can be an invaluable resource for this city, but New Yorkers need to know there are too many strings attached.”
LinkNYC, which was publicly launched in January, will eventually become a network of as many as 7,500 to 10,000 public kiosks offering fast and free Wi-Fi throughout all five boroughs. The sheer volume of information gathered by this powerful network will create a massive database of information that will present attractive opportunities for hackers and for law enforcement surveillance, and will carry an undue risk of abuse, misuse and unauthorized access.
In order to register for LinkNYC, users must submit their e-mail addresses and agree to allow CityBridge to collect information about what websites they visit on their devices, where and how long they linger on certain information on a webpage, and what links they click on. CityBridge’s privacy policy only offers to make “reasonable efforts” to clear out this massive amount of personally identifiable user information, and even then, only if there have been 12 months of user inactivity. New Yorkers who use LinkNYC regularly will have their personally identifiable information stored for a lifetime and beyond.
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s launch of LinkNYC, that occurred at the same time that NYPD Commissioner Bratton spoke about the Apple controversy, also raised concerns that the NYPD will be requesting information from CityBridge and that CityBridge will be cooperating – troubling because LinkNYC users are not guaranteed notification if the NYPD requests to access their information. And according to its privacy policy, data collected by environmental sensors or cameras at the LinkNYC kiosks may be available to the city or NYPD. In its letter, the NYCLU requests to know if the environmental sensors and cameras will be routinely feeding into any city or NYPD systems, including the controversial Domain Awareness System, and contends that users must be specifically notified if this is the case.
You’ve been warned.
For related articles, see:
One Nation Under Surveillance – U.S. Government Pushed Tech Companies to Hand Over Source Code
War on Terror Turns Inward – NSA Surveillance Will Be Used Against American Citizens
Meet the Institution Most Intent on Destroying American Freedom – (*Hint: It’s Not ISIS)
More “War on Terror” Abuses – Spying Powers Are Used for Terrorism Only 0.5% of the Time
The Pentagon Admits: The “War on Terror” Will Never End
It’s Official: The FBI Classifies Peaceful American Protestors as “Terrorists”
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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yea i’ve been seeing these things go up and thinking the above. i don’t think your article really touches but the surface of what is already here and the orwellian world that we are buildling.
and you cannot stop it. people want it. the vast majority of people when told of the dangers will simply think you are crazy and praise it like a god.
This is one good step for the New Yorkers, but do you really think this public wifi will not be spying your online activities. I don’t think so, it is rather a smart way from officials to track your data and keep an eye on your internet browsing. If you want to be anonymous, subscribe to PureVPN for complete internet security.
The program, in which Sidewalk Labs is one of many partners, has been called “Wi-Fry” because of alleged dangers from radiation that is emitted up to 200 feet from the terminals; “Wi-Spy” because data will be collected from anyone who uses the terminals, and “Wi-Lie” because the major powers behind the $200 million program are hidden from public view—Google and Titan Outdoor Advertising.
Critics say viewing the 4.5-foot digital ads on both sides of the terminals will be the principal experience most New Yorkers will have of them since most already have Wi-Fi and cellphone access. They said the “Labs” in the title of Sidewalk Labs denotes an experiment is being conducted on citizens without their permission.