Google's plan for a smart city in Toronto is facing resistance from privacy activists, who are fighting against the commodification of their city's data
The world's most ambitious “smart city,” known as Quayside, in Toronto, has faced fierce public criticism since last fall … Tweets: @theintercept , @leahwestyow , @kenanmalik , @seanmmcdonald , @aaschapiro , and @thistechgirl Tweets: @theintercept : From the start, activists, technology researchers, and some government officials have been skeptical about the idea of putting Google, or one of its sister companies, in charge of a city. http://theintercept.com/... Leah West / @leahwestyow : Pro Tip: If convenience is being offered for “free” in the form of new technology, replace the word “free” with “all of your electronically generated data, forever” and then decide if it's a worthwhile exchange. http://theintercept.com/... Kenan Malik / @kenanmalik : ‘A colonizing experiment in surveillance capitalism attempting to bulldoze important urban, civic and political issues’: http://theintercept.com/... Sean McDonald / @seanmmcdonald : This is a good read on the political debates arising out of the Quayside development project about the role of industry and government in #smartcities http://twitter.com/... One to watch, no matter your industry. http://twitter.com/... Avi Asher-Schapiro / @aaschapiro : Brewing controversy over Google's Toronto 'Smart City is the “latest warning sign for cities who are considering signing over public spaces to major tech companies.” @eyywa latest in @theintercept is important—especially in the shadow of Amazon's HQ2 http://theintercept.com/... Saadia Muzaffar / @thistechgirl : .@eyywa has written one of the most honest, pointed, clear overviews of how (anti-democratically) Sidewalk Labs & Waterfront Toronto's “partnership” has unfolded over Quayside. Grateful to see a nod to the often erroneously downplayed resident resistance: http://theintercept.com/...