Request Denied: Designing for Consent in Data Collection

Ame Elliott Smart Cities make decisions based on data, such as
moving shared bicycles from quiet areas to busy areas. However,
Smart City applications are extremely limited in how they
communicate what data is collected and how it used. It is often
unclear to people using bike sharing services how their location is
tracked or who has access to that data. The main way data
collection is currently handled in applications is by presenting
legal statements that people must either agree to or reject in
their entirety. Rejecting the terms means not being able to use the
service, so accepting the terms without reading them is the default
behavior. Imminent changes in the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) provide an opportunity to rethink ways of giving
and denying consent to data collection beyond the status quo of
clicking a box to agree to legal terms and conditions. Particularly
needed is discussion of how Smart City user interfaces communicate
data collection in context, while people move through the city. For
example, how might policies be read or understood on a phone screen
or public display? Inclusive cities cannot require a personal
smartphone to access services, but current user experience design
techniques emphasize interaction through smartphone apps.
Technology that treats people as consumers voluntarily choosing to
use products are not appropriate models for respecting the rights
of citizens using essential services. New interaction techniques
are needed to help people give and revoke consent to collect their
data as they use services in a Smart City. Using photography and
screenshots from existing applications such as bike sharing apps,
this talk makes Smart Cities and privacy accessible to a general
audience by focusing on the everyday user experience. The talk
covers: Ways applications manage personal profiles and permissions.
How application design choices shape the use of public space. How
user experience design enables consent or rejection of data
collection.