Free Wi-Fi should really be free
Hundreds of LinkNYC kiosks are going up every month. Each kiosk is equipped with microphones, bluetooth beacons, and outward-facing cameras. These technologies have the ability to collect personal information about every New Yorker. Law enforcement agencies can easily access this information, corporations sell it for profit, and the government now has the tools to practice mass surveillance. LinkNYC is not community WiFi. It is an opportunity for surveillance, data collection and corporate profit boxed and marketed as free WiFi. We believe that the basic building blocks of the LinkNYC program need to be re-thought. Free WiFi should really be free, and citizens – not corporations – must have the freedom to decide if and when their personal information is used. True community WiFi unites and connects people. It affirms freedom, openness and trust. Say no to LinkNYC. Another way is possible. Rethink Link.
The Digital Trade Alliance is a collaborative effort of digital rights and consumer groups assembled in 2018. The Alliance model provides effective advice and expertise to us in order to structure the transnational debate on digital trade.
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A commitment to make digital technologies work for, not against, democracy and human rights. It underlines the joint responsibility of governments, multilateral organizations, civil society, and technology companies to develop and use digital technologies to the benefit of democracy and human rights.