Category: Road Transport / Transport / Industry / Business, Economics and Finance

Will free wifi trial on Sydney buses put your privacy at risk?

Sunday, 8 Jan 2017 13:53:50 | Chloe Hart

The New South Wales Greens are concerned a deal between the State Government and a private advertising company to provide free wifi on Sydney's public buses may put commuter privacy at risk.

Under the new trial 50 Sydney buses will be fitted with free wifi, and the program may expand to 1000 buses by the end of the year.

The Government has said the plan would be funded by advertising on buses by APN Outdoors, which already caters to Adelaide commuters.

Credit card, driver details to be collected: Greens

But the Greens have criticised the deal and accused the Government of not revealing a catch in the agreement which it says allows the company to obtain the private information of commuters who sign up to the service.

"The Transport Minister [Andrew Constance] is out there boasting this as a win for the public, but the catch is buried in the fine print," Greens Transport Spokeswoman Dr Mehreen Faruqi said.

"Really what he's failing to do is make clear how it's being paid for.

"Not making it clear to possibly tens of thousands of bus commuters they will actually be signing up to hand over their very personal information."

Dr Faruqi claimed personal information such as "drivers' details and credit cards" was among that which would be harvested for targeted advertising.

"Melbourne CBD offers free wifi through the Government, without any conditions of advertising or releasing personal information," she said.

"The NSW Government needs to find safer, more responsible ways of providing better services and getting up to date with technology that is on offer."

Service will benefit commuters: Minister

Mr Constance yesterday welcomed the trial and called it an exciting way to enhance technology on the state's public transport services.

"We are always looking for ways to improve the customer experience across all public transport services, particularly when it comes to providing reliability and convenience," he said.

An earlier statement from the Government said customers who rode a bus participating in the trial were prompted to download a free and simple app which allowed them to "quickly and easily web surf the bus ride away".

"What we do need to do first and foremost is ensure that communities get telecommunications access, there's plenty of regional communities still without mobile telephone coverage," the statement said.

Dr Faruqi said the level of lobbying between the State Government and private companies was alarming and not something the public wanted.

"This Government is bent on privatising every single aspect of public service," she said.

"We want good public services provided by the Government where the community and their private information is kept safe."



 

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