http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Spy device at Meadows playground? en Wed, 13 May 2026 03:31:20 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312609 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 21:21:26 +0000 Morningsider 312609@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Could be part of the <a href="https://www.edinburghlivinglab.org/projects/parklife">Parklife project</a>, which also involves wi-fi hotspots "disguised" as plastic owls. Clearly a few dedicated tokers in the University's IoT department... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312606 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 20:01:38 +0000 chdot 312606@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/15/ico-opens-investigation-into-use-of-facial-recognition-in-kings-cross" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/aug/15/ico-opens-investigation-into-use-of-facial-recognition-in-kings-cross</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312603 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 16:46:41 +0000 jonty 312603@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You're right that it doesn't actually sound like it's related to that project. I wouldn't be surprised, then, if it really is just a temperature/pressure etc. sensor. The IoT lab is just down the road so makes a good testbed for things like <a href="https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/">this.</a></p> <p>Have you tried asking them? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312602 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 15:53:33 +0000 neddie 312602@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Paraphrased extracts:</p> <p><em>These devices will capture wide spectrum audio in the range 0Hz to 96KHz, enabling audio traits both within and beyond normal human hearing range to be captured...</p> <p>all data is uploaded to Univ of Edin servers...</p> <p>an automated process that ‘scrambles’ any sounds that might be human speech...</p> <p>before sharing with the wider world...</p> <p>only a very few samples will be inspected manually by 2 observers to check for intelligible speech...</em></p> <p>What could go wrong?</p> <p><em>We will ensure that appropriate information sheets are displayed in already established signage points in the Meadows.</em></p> <p>Hmmm. Never seen one. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312601 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 15:35:15 +0000 neddie 312601@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@jonty</p> <p><em>we are placing the Audio Capture Devices in trees</em></p> <p>I'm not sure that the box I saw is related to the CitySounds project. It was grey plastic and not wooden as shown in the CitySounds pictures and it was not mounted in a tree.</p> <p>(Unless of course their statements are misleading)</p> <p>In any case, why isn't the privacy statement and contact details attached to the device (or at least a link / QR-code to them)?</p> <p>I also wouldn't be surprised if Infomatics students at Univ of Edinburgh don't find novel (and possibly intrusive) ways to use this data, attempt to hack it, etc. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312597 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 14:55:40 +0000 jonty 312597@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You can view their Privacy Impact Statement &amp; FAQs <a href="https://citysounds.eu/privacy/">here</a>.</p> <p>I wouldn't be surprised if they're handling tiny snippets of ambient noise in a more secure way than many organisations handle genuinely sensitive personal information. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312591 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 12:52:54 +0000 neddie 312591@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I should think for capturing audio (albeit partly scrambled, but who knows how effective this is in terms of privacy) in a public place, the same rules as for CCTV would apply:</p> <p>i.e. you are not allowed to have private CCTV viewing a public place without authorisation, signs, etc. And I'm pretty sure that sound is not allowed in any case. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312590 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 11:31:40 +0000 Mandopicker101 312590@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There's a nationwide rollout of IoT infrastructure currently underway - IoT Scotland being one such programme. Other providers are interested in Scotland too. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312585 Thu, 15 Aug 2019 09:47:48 +0000 mcairney 312585@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The lead developer of the IoT project gave a talk on this at last years FLOSSUK conference:<br /> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueiWmOOZI3k" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueiWmOOZI3k</a></p> <p>Warning: may contain traces of IT </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312558 Wed, 14 Aug 2019 16:51:07 +0000 stiltskin 312558@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>This is outrageous! I see no evidence that the bats have given their consent to have their most private conversations recorded! #meadowsbatstalking </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312545 Wed, 14 Aug 2019 14:47:44 +0000 jonty 312545@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://citysounds.eu/project/">This?</a></p> <p>"The project installed Audio Capture Devices (ACDs) at several locations across the Meadows. The ACDs regularly capture short clips of ultrasonic and audible noises of bats, birds and other wildlife, traffic, and human activity in real time. The sounds are be combined with other data from sensors, such as light, temperature and humidity, and will be used to answer questions such as: How active is the bat population around the Meadows? Does traffic noise change animal behaviour over the course of a day? What is the pattern of human activity during different seasons of the year?"</p> <p><a href="https://citysounds.eu/2018/07/exploring-the-data/">"All of the sounds are scrambled below 7kHz to obscure human voice which makes the sound inherently noisy and disorienting"</a></p> <p>Sounds like it contains a thermometer so be careful not to breathe on it in case they find out what your body temperature is. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312544 Wed, 14 Aug 2019 14:41:01 +0000 Klaxon 312544@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It is one of the most important questions of the modern age</p> <p>Such a survey box is not forcing your phone to communicate with it</p> <p>But you can’t choose what boxes to communicate with unless you disable all radios when you lock your phone </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=19784#post-312543 Wed, 14 Aug 2019 14:33:07 +0000 neddie 312543@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When last at the Meadows big playpark, I noticed a grey plastic box, about the size of a large phone, cable-tied to the fence near the western entrance gate. It was marked "Property of University of Edinburgh, IoT".</p> <p>Anyone else noticed that?</p> <p>Is this some kind of data-gathering / spying device?</p> <p>Are they collecting WiFi IP addresses, Bluetooth, etc.?</p> <p>Do they have the right to do that without consent? </p>