Comet has a new idea. "Forget the survey," she says. "The screen at the front desk could quietly record every tap, every time, all day."
"Then we would know exactly how members use it," she adds. "No questions needed!"
Wren frowns. "What do you notice? The members would not know they were being recorded."
Comet pauses. "Would that be a problem if the data were useful?"
Nova hovers near the screen. "Would you like a hint?" she asks. "Ask how you would feel if a screen recorded you without telling you."
Wren turns to you. "Data analyst, is useful enough?"
Devices, websites and networks can collect information about a person's location.
Programs can record where you have been, how you got there and how long you stayed.
Search engines and websites can keep histories of what people search for and which pages they view.
Data can be collected from huge numbers of people without them noticing.
One example is road traffic monitoring that changes the signals while drivers are unaware of it.
This kind of hidden, automatic collection can raise privacy concerns, even when it has a helpful purpose.
| Made-up example from the Commons story | Would members notice it? |
|---|---|
| A paper survey a member chooses to fill in | Yes |
| The front-desk screen quietly logging every tap | No |
| Keeper Ines counting people at the door out loud | Yes |
| A sensor that silently counts every footstep in the hall | No |
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Devices, websites and networks can collect information about location. | ? |
| Programs can record how long someone stayed somewhere. | ? |
| Data can only be collected from people who notice it. | ? |
| Hidden collection can raise privacy concerns. | ? |
| The crew decides to secretly log every tap on the screen. | ? |
Thoughtful work. Tomorrow in Count Lab you finish the privacy pass and write the consent script.