My first introduction to Singapore was ten years ago, when my aunt and uncle made the move over there for work. It then seemed to be half a world away, which, to be fair, is not too far off. After visiting twice, in 2008 and 2010, I stayed in Singapore more permanently for a 3-month internship in 2014. It was the perfect opportunity to combine my studies, gain working experience and spend time with my family.
Before moving there, the one thing that kept coming to my mind about Singapore was that it was illegal to chew gum, and thus very difficult to buy anywhere. Twice a year, during the summer and at Christmas, my cousins would stock up on gum and ship it back home with them. So naturally, I did the same. Nothing will make you love chewing gum more than not being allowed to have it. And while a restriction on chewing gum seems harmless enough, it is only a small example of the rules and regulations that are in place to guarantee safety and efficiency, while also restricting civil liberties.
Where there has always been room for experimentation and innovation in Singapore, a new experiment has been introduced; Smart Nation. Smart Nation is a government initiative aimed at using data, networks and information and communication technologies to provide a safer and efficient city-state where “people are empowered by technology to lead meaningful and fulfilled lives”. The data gathered through sensors and camera could track everything and everyone, from people smoking (or chewing gum) in prohibited areas to the number of people using public transportation on any given time. According to the government website the use of digital technology will provide support and impact in 5 key domains; Transport; Home & environment; Business productivity; Health & enabled ageing; and Public-sector services. The possibilities seem to be endless, with thousands of sensors installed around the city, public transportation could be rerouted based on passenger loads, the spread of an infectious diseases could be tracked or it could be used to predict crowd movements following an attack.
While the possibilities and advantages of such a data-driven nation are clear, from a government perspective, there are some serious catches. Collecting data on such a scale automatically raises questions on privacy issues, cyber security and surveillance. The government has set up a cybersecurity agency to ensure the protection of data and drawn up strict measures on how to use the information. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the Singaporeans are not that concerned: “Singaporeans are resigned to the large amount of data the government collects, residents don’t see CCTV as scary. They see it as safe”.
While currently Singapore is a real-life laboratory for this extensive experiment, it is interesting to wonder when others will follow and implement the powers of data collection on such an extensive scale. Even when initiatives such as Smart City are at the beginning of its worldwide development there is already a hot debate on how much personal privacy citizens should sacrifice for the sake of convenience and safety. I am definitely not sure on what the answer should be, and for an outsider visiting Singapore it is easy to get distracted by the advantages of clean streets and an extreme sense of safety.
The links below are the sources that I used for this blog and provide more information on the topic.
- https://www.smartnation.sg/
- http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-singapore-smart-nation-2017-story.html
- TedTalk on Smart Nation in Singapore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m45SshJqOP4
Claudia,
Interesting article you post about Singapore. I was immediately drawn to it as my family also live there!
I think Singapore itself is always an interesting discussion, even beyond anything related to technology or digitalisation. The chewing gum example is only one of the many examples of how strict law enforcement is in Singapore. Having briefly studied the history of Singapore, I believe that strict law enforcements and compliance to them have been ingrained in the culture since its establishment. What I see in Singapore though is that, you are no allowed to chew gum? Well, almost nobody will chew gum in public! And that is mainly because the consequences you will face are real. They are not just empty laws, but they will be enforced. And the same applies for much larger laws too. However, I think Singapore holds advantages that enable them to do this compared to other countries, and that is because they are so small. It is a big Island after all!
I think the idea of the Smart Nation is a very interesting and exciting experiment; especially considering the 5 key domains it will impact. I would be curious to see how it would affect transportation system as well. As good as it is now, I can imagine traffic continues to be a concern in the city. And, as you mentioned I believe that the culture on privacy concerns there, is very different to what it is like in Europe as well. Where people in Europe may see it as intrusion of privacy, it is definitely not the case there!