The rise of surveillance light bulbs

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Cities across the country are replacing older public lighting with newfangled LED light bulbs. Sold as efficient, cost-saving, and “eco-friendly”, it turns out they’re perfect for covert surveillance. From City Lab’s latest article, ‘LED Streetlight Raise New Opportunities for Surveillance’:

“But as more communities adopt government-funded, eco-friendly LED lights as an environmental measure, some worry that the eyes on these bulbs may be a bit too literal. As they illuminate the streets, they could be watching—and recording—what happens below with attached cameras, microphones, and other devices.The biggest appeal of LEDs is their efficiency and cost-saving potential: They aren’t designed specifically to surveil. But the bulbs’ complex wiring and strategic positioning make recording devices an easy addition. When LEDs started brightening the halls of Newark Liberty International Airport in 2014, and malls across the countrysoon after, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and community members were unsettled to discover that hidden inside some of them were cameras. Others, microphones.

“I think rather than call them smart bulbs in smart cities I’d call them surveillance bulbs in surveillance cities,” said Chad Marlow, advocacy and policy council for the ACLU. “That’s more accurate.””“Smart city” is the new buzzphrase among city councils across the country intent on bringing their cities “into the twentieth century”.  But their equation of “progressive” with “internet-connected everything” is creating a scenario where Surveillance State hyperbole becomes impossible.  The “smart city” ideal would entail total, ubiquitous, 24/7 surveillance of every activity within the entire jurisdiction, for “efficiency” purposes and to make everyone’s lives easier.  But imagine a Google city, or Microsoft township.  Every conceivable surveillance toy would be operational within the city, and these cities would become playgrounds for the tech giants, the Pentagon, and the myriad corporations churning out spy goodies at a break-neck pace.  And you know the push behind fast-tracking these surveillance cities, behind the PR campaign that came up with the propagandistic “smart city” catchphrase are the very companies and government agencies that will stand to make a fortune off the boondoggle.  Buyer beware.

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Author: S. Smith

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