Data: exploitation of multiple databases
After several experiments using Big Data to optimize travel and analyze energy footprints, urban security policies have also harnessed the potential of these new technologies, driven by the desire to anticipate the resources needed and even potential offenses.
In a context marked by recurring attacks and particularly violent crime in certain areas, the city of Marseille has developed an analytical tool that collects extensive data from public administrations and cross-references it in real time with data from telephone operators, public transportation, hospitals, and social media.
Big data: Protecting citizens through the use of personal data
Co-financed by the city, the region, the department, and even the European Regional Development Fund, this analytical tool, designed to guarantee public safety, would prove to be a valuable decision-making aid for municipal services.
While many citizens are concerned about this, fearing a further step towards a widespread surveillance society, the CNIL (French Data Protection Authority) has highlighted the various risks associated with this type of tool and recommends free access to the algorithms and software that comprise it, in order to reconcile the protection of public order with that of citizens’ civil liberties.
