A few years later, the surveillance cameras in Singapore which atop the roads could help authorities pick out and recognize faces in crowds across the island-state. Those cameras are basically linked to facial recognition software and it makes the public panic because people think that this technique kind of influence personal privacy. The government says that this technique is used for anti-terrorism as well as to analytic perform crowd. And also, there is a project called “Lamppost-as-a-Platform” will be started the next year according to the GovTech. The government says that It is one of the parts of the “Smart Nation” plan in Singapore which is used to cutting-edge technology to improve people’s lives and has pledged to be sensitive to privacy. Singapore government plans to use lampposts to monitor air quality and water levels as well. Although the government did not state how many lampposts could be used in the initial pilot project, one of the heads of Singapore’s civil service states that there will be about 110,000 lampposts connected to the sensor network.
I think the idea that to have the lamppost system is good for the city as the program “smart city” that Singapore government wants to because I think it is a good example of the internet of thing which uses objects and let them communicate with each other. However, the facial recognition software that it carries may challenge the baseline of personal privacy that people can accept. Once I walk on the street, I do not really want to those policemen just know me wherever I go and I feel like I have my name overhead all the time. But I also think that this facial recognition technology can reduce the crime rate because once people know that they are watching wherever they go, they will take their responsibilities to their actions. So I think the most important thing is how the government decide to use it. How clear the camera should be and then how many privacy messages from each person.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-singapore-surveillance/singapore-to-test-facial-recognition-on-lampposts-stoking-privacy-fears-idUSKBN1HK0RV
I really agree with your statement about how using the lampposts is a good example of the internet of things and pushing Singapore towards becoming a smart city, which I think that many cities in the future will all become. With technology being so prevalent in everyone’s lives today, it only feels like the beginning. Though I can see people’s fear of having their privacy invaded, that doesn’t really stop them from using facebook, which is now known to “invade privacy”. It seems like people will pick and choose when to make a big deal out of something. Obviously the facebook scandal has blown up and his huge, but there is no doubt that people will use this social media platform despite knowing its usage of their information.I feel like this facial recognition technology could be very helpful with crimes and keeping our world safe. I actually feel like other cities would start to adapt this, if it ends up being successful in Singapore.
Like it states in the videos, there are always downsides to things. One thing that could go wrong with this “all-seeing-eye” will be used incorrectly, like to target political opponents, protestors, and journalists. But, it seems like a risk that Singapore is willing to take, being that they are ready to install this software into 110,000 lampposts. I also wonder if they have a camera developed that will be able to decipher people who are trying to disguise themselves, especially from a far.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/people/singapore-to-test-facial-recognition-surveillance-cameras-in-lampposts/vp-AAvQNK8
This type of technology, while useful, can be very scary. The main concern I see with it is how it can be considered an invasion of privacy, that was the initial standpoint I had, but also it is concerning to think how hackers may be able to collect the information seen by this type of technology. Hackers nowadays are getting better at breaching public infrastructure units and it is only a matter of time before they get their hands on this type type of tech. More authoritative governments who can acquire this type of technology can also be concerning for regular citizens. Lamp posts with facial recognition can obtain larger amounts of information on an individual, information that citizen may not want the government to have, and information the government probably does not need but they would like to have so they can gather more intel on their their people. In time, maybe these policies will change once people realize the importance of privacy in the modern world, but with the way things are trending, it does not seem that way.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/facial-recognition-china-50000/
This article is fascinating yet scary at the same time. While the thought of surveillance cameras being used on every lamp post for the sole purpose of catching criminals is interesting, that sort of power can become too much. I agree that it is really important how the government chooses to use it. The issue I see is that this type of control can become too powerful, and people can become very greedy. I can easily see this becoming out of hand.
This concept reminds me of the show, Person of Interest. It was about a man who created a machine that used technology to track people’s everyday movements. You can follow someone using the street lamps as well. The purpose of the machine was to help prevent crime and fatal events from occurring. It would recognize a specific number that corresponded to a human. The only issue was that you did not know if he or she was a victim or a perpetrator. Using the internet of things, the machine tracked people down. Even though this device was meant for good, greedy people wanted to use it for more personal gains. It soon became an invasion of privacy. Hopefully Singapore won’t have that same issue.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/tv/a7249/the-creepy-surveillance-tech-of-person-of-interest-6499803/