The City of Portland has been part of the national effort to create “smart cities” that operate on better data, and better automation. Smart City privacy has been a challenging area for many cities since more and more data is being collected about us on city streets, sidewalks, and even from our homes.

In Portland, where Tozny is located, the city council just passed a resolution codifying Portland’s smart city Privacy and Information Protection Principles for data.

Smart city privacy principles from Portland

• Transparency and accountability

  • How the City uses, manages and collects information is described clearly, accurately, and shared in an accessible way. Who creates, contributes to, and has access to that information is also clearly documented and communicated to all people who entrust city government with their data and information.

• Full lifecycle stewardship

  • Data, metadata, and information will be secured and protected throughout its life cycle. That includes collection, storage, use, control, processing, publication, transfer, retention and disposal.

• Equitable data management

  • The City of Portland will prioritize the needs of marginalized communities regarding data and information management, which must be considered when designing or implementing programs, services, and policies.

• Ethical and non-discriminatory use of data

  • The City of Portland has an ethical responsibility to provide good and fair stewardship of data and information, follow existing non-discriminatory protections, and commit due diligence to understand the impacts of unintended consequences.

• Data openness

  • Data, metadata and information managed by the City of Portland — and by third parties working on behalf of the City — that are made accessible to the public must comply with all applicable legal requirements and not expose any confidential, restricted, private, Personal Information or aggregated data that may put communities, individuals, or sensitive assets at risk.

• Automated Decision Systems

  • The City will create procedures for reviewing, sharing, assessing, and evaluating City Automated Decision System tools — including technologies referred to as artificial intelligence — through the lens of equity, fairness, transparency, and accountability.

• Data utility

  • All information and data processes must bring value to the City of Portland and the communities the City serves. The City will collect only the minimum amount of Personal Information to fulfill a well-defined purpose and in a manner that is consistent with the context in which it will be used.

Download the privacy principles here.