How Long Beach turns data privacy commitments into action

Ahead of the Cities Today Institute City Leadership Forum in Long Beach next week, Sarah Wray talks to Lea Eriksen, the city’s technology lead.

One of the guiding principles of Long Beach’s smart city initiative is to earn public trust in how data and technology are used.

Work to achieve this is “definitely not easy” and takes more time, but the effort is worth it, says the city’s Director of Technology and Innovation and Chief Information Officer, Lea Eriksen.

“In Long Beach, it’s very important that we are thoughtful about the implications of technology and the privacy of our residents,” Eriksen told Cities Today. “There’s a balancing act because we also have to make sure that we’re able to use technology to solve civic challenges.”

In 2021, Long Beach adopted data privacy guidelines, committing to being transparent, participatory, and non-discriminatory. The guidelines state that Long Beach will never sell, or permit vendors to sell, personal data, and that data will be used for the public good. The city will work to provide people with the ability to opt out of data collection when it’s not required for a service, and pledges to ensure human oversight of algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI).

Some cities stop at broad principles but Long Beach followed up with an implementation plan, outlining the required tools, processes, people, and training.

“These are the actions that we need to take to actually implement the guidelines,” says Eriksen.

Implementation

The plan includes hiring additional data privacy staff, creating a data privacy ordinance, implementing guidelines for data collection, embedding data privacy in the procurement and contracting process, and providing information on data privacy for residents.

Some of these actions are already underway. The city has just hired a new data privacy analyst to take the programme forward. It is also piloting the Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR) signage for two technologies in the public right of way, along with a prototype digital rights platform developed with non-profit Coding It Forward. Scanning a QR code on the signage takes users to the platform to find out more about the licence plate reading system and an ‘eco totem’ that counts pedestrians and cyclists via infrared and inductive loops. More technologies will be added in the future and residents can find information on the purpose of the system and who manages it, data that is collected and how it is used, and have the opportunity to provide feedback.

Resident engagement is a key part of the work to earn trust, says Eriksen.

On the DTPR initiative, Long Beach partnered with California State University to get a grant from the National Science Foundation to expand the platform and signage and ensure they meet residents’ needs.

This included ‘data walks’ with residents, who received gift cards in return for their time and feedback.

“That helps reduce barriers to participation,” Eriksen comments.

The city has also partnered with various organisations to promote the digital rights platform and get input from the community to help shape further developments.

Eriksen explains: “Some of the responses were that residents were grateful that they were able to participate, but then also concerned about what they don’t know.”

Co-Lab

Residents who take part in the LB Co-Lab initiative also receive a US$1,000 stipend if they complete the 10-month programme.

Long Beach used data to identify neighbourhoods that were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and have lower levels of employment, education, and internet access. Residents in these areas were invited to take part in the Co-Lab to identify the challenges in their neighbourhood, define the problem statement to put out to the technology market, and be part of the procurement selection process.

“I think this is pretty novel,” says Eriksen. “And in the process, the participants are also getting career coaching and other capacity-building skills.”

Finding budget to compensate residents for their participation can be a challenge. In the case of the Co-Lab, Long Beach received a grant through the Long Beach Community Foundation and also used some of its American Rescue Plan Act funding.

“Even if we didn’t have those grant funds, things like the gift certificates we gave to our residents for the data walks need to be built into the cost of doing projects,” says Eriksen.

In future, she also intends that DTPR signage would be rolled into the cost of technology systems, rather than being a separate budget line item.

2028 Olympics

Advocating for dedicated staff for data privacy work and resident engagement can also be a challenge, but Eriksen says: “It’s important to ensure you have staff capacity to actually meaningfully do the work.”

With the new data privacy analyst in place, next steps include advancing the city’s data privacy ordinance, with input from residents that are part of Long Beach’s Technology and Innovation Commission.

“As we continue to explore smart cities technology, including any potential use of sensors in the right of way that collect data, I think this approach is going to provide more assurance to our residents that we’re using the data correctly,” says Eriksen.

The city is getting ready for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, when six events will take place in Long Beach.

Eriksen comments: “There are going to be investments in technology related to public safety, transportation, and communication. Making sure that we have these data privacy guidelines, security and community engaged in our technology solutions from the start is going to support our intent, which is to have a positive lasting impact on our community from hosting the Olympics.”