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Wandsworth InLink Data Claim
Inlink boxes gather too much personal data, campaigners have claimed.
15:46 24 April 2018
InLinks are aluminum structures that are meant to replace the iconic but no longer in-demand traditional red phone boxes. They offer calls, ultrafast WiFi and USB charging – all for free and paid for by advertising.
They are under three metres tall and feature two large advertising displays. They also have three built-in cameras, which spark privacy and surveillance concerns.
One campaigner sent a letter to Wandsworth Council in December saying that there was "far too much latitude for the applicant to adapt these kiosks… into a street-level mass surveillance system with the potential to cause serious harm to the public".
Matt Bird, general manager of InLinkUK, responded by saying: "We have no interest whatsoever of tracking individuals, whether it's on WiFi or other means. We care about utilising data for good,"
"The built-in cameras are turned off, while we try to think about the best use for them for community good."
So far, 135 InLinks have been installed in London and Leeds. Glasgow, on the other hand, is set to get its first kiosk in the next few months. BT hopes to install 1,000 InLinks across the UK before this year ends.