Q&A
Discussion on data collection and privacy concerns in MyCity portal
2:27:04
·
164 sec
Council Member Gutiérrez and Cynthia Conti-Cook engage in a Q&A about the privacy and data collection concerns surrounding the MyCity portal. Conti-Cook explains the risks associated with centralized data collection and potential misuse of information.
- Concerns about collecting and centralizing sensitive personal information
- Risks of data being accessed by unintended parties, such as NYPD
- Examples of problematic automated systems in other states leading to wrongful benefit terminations or fraud accusations
- Emphasis on the need for strong boundaries and clear purposes for data collection and use
Cynthia Conti-Cook
2:27:04
If the purpose of the tool is just to receive information, then that's much more simple.
2:27:10
What we're concerned about is a tool that is collecting information from New Yorkers about their households, about their dependence, as the commissioner listed off this morning.
2:27:21
There's many layers of information that's collected from people as they apply for benefits, as they apply for childcare.
2:27:27
And our questions and our concerns really stem from what happens when all of that information is collected together in one place that doesn't have strong boundaries between what that information was collected for and what it is being used for.
2:27:45
And at the moment, data sharing agreements aside.
2:27:49
We already heard from a report last week.
2:27:53
Again, this was not this was only in the public's I, because there was a there was media reporting on it, that an internal memo indicated an intention for NYPD officers to be embedded in city agencies across city government.
2:28:08
And if that is the case in city an NYPD official would then be able to get access to such data.
2:28:15
We have concerns about what then the purpose of that data, which was collected for a different purposes going to be used for, especially in a world where automated systems are kicking people off benefits that they are eligible for, where fraud detection predictive algorithms are wrongly accusing people of fraud and where the the the push for innovation and we're the push for efficiency and down and lowering staff counts is resulting in replacing long term unionized experienced workers in stead with algorithms that just don't have the context, don't have the local expertise, and don't have the central purpose, being making sure that people who deserve benefits get it, and instead have a central purpose of policing.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
2:29:08
Are there other cities or other communities where you've seen kind of these worst case scenarios?
Cynthia Conti-Cook
2:29:15
Yes.
2:29:15
Absolutely.
2:29:16
There have been lawsuits in Arkansas about a home health care app home health care system that was used to reduce the number of home health care hours someone was entitled to.
2:29:30
There is another lawsuit out of Idaho Similarly, about health care and another one from Michigan where there was an automated fraud detection services used, and it was used 95% of the time it was producing wrong accusations of fraud.
2:29:48
Jeez.
