Amsterdam has decided to discontinue the use of ‘smart’ traffic lights due to privacy regulations, as reported by AT5. These traffic lights, capable of identifying commuters via communication with mobile apps, pose a risk to personal data protection.
This decision marks a reversal from the city’s year-old plan to implement intelligent traffic lights city-wide to improve traffic flow at busy intersections. The plan was limited to a trial at two intersections, and the city will not pursue further implementation.
Concerns were raised by the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) about the potential for large-scale data collection without users’ awareness, allowing tracking of entire journeys, including time and speed. Additionally, there were issues during the trial, such as the limited improvement in traffic flow, vulnerability to hacking, and high maintenance costs.
This is the second major project canceled recently by traffic alderwoman Melanie van der Horst due to privacy concerns, following her decision to stop parking inspectors from locating stolen vehicles.
Source: NOS