Surveillance Devices Spark Privacy Battle at Carnegie Mellon U.

Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute for Software Research recently introduced a series of experimental super-sensing devices known as Mites, sparking a privacy battle between the university’s staff. One software engineering grad student said, “It’s not okay to install these by default. I don’t want to live in a world where one’s employer installing networked sensors in your office without asking you first is a model for other organizations to follow.”

The MIT Technology Review reports that the Institute for Software Research at Carnegie Mellon University recently unveiled a line of experimental super-sensing gadgets known as Mites, raising concerns about privacy, consent, and surveillance.

The surveillance devices were installed as part of a research project on IoT infrastructure led by PhD candidate Sudershan Boovaraghavan and CMU Professor Yuvraj Agarwal.

While 12 different types of data, including motion and sound, can be measured by mites, the project has not received universal acclaim. A few students and faculty members have voiced concerns about possible privacy violations and unauthorized surveillance. David Widder, a Ph.D. candidate in software engineering and a vocal opponent of Mites, commented, “It’s not okay to install these by default. I don’t want to live in a world where one’s employer installing networked sensors in your office without asking you first is a model for other organizations to follow.”

The Mites project aims to develop more practical, effective, safe, and versatile devices than the existing building sensors. These integrated sensors can gather a variety of information, including sound, light, vibrations, motion, temperature, and humidity. The devices don’t take pictures or videos, but they use machine learning to process data. Despite this, the devices’ privacy concerns have sparked a discussion within the institution.

Since Carnegie Mellon has an impact on how sensors are used in other organizations and industries, its approach to the Mites project could have broad repercussions. Companies and other universities “listen when we do something,” claims Widder.

The Mites project sheds light on the difficulties academics and organizations face in juggling the creation of cutting-edge technology with the requirement to maintain privacy and obtain informed consent. The challenge of navigating these complex ethical issues becomes more pressing as the world becomes more connected and dependent on data.

Read more at the MIT Technology Review here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan