A government plan to introduce about 400 multifunctional lamp posts across Hong Kong should go ahead but with their cameras removed and other safeguards created to allay public concerns about privacy and data collection, an expert committee said on Monday. The lamp posts are part of the government’s “smart city” initiative and come equipped with a range of technologies, including Wi-fi access, Bluetooth detectors, a radio frequency identification tag, meteorological and air quality sensors, as well as thermal detectors and up to two types of cameras. They can collect information about traffic conditions, pedestrian flows, illegal waste dumping and pollution levels. So far, about 50 have been installed around Hong Kong, but several were ripped down last August by anti-government protesters, who suspected they were performing a facial recognition function, which the government denied. The advisory committee, composed of IT and privacy experts, recommended authorities replace the cameras and Bluetooth detectors with alternatives that are more “privacy friendly”. “These two are what the public is most concerned with,” said committee member Francis Fong Po-kiu, also honorary president of the Information Technology Federation. The experts expected the initiative would be better received by district councils if the two types of technology were removed. Hong Kong unveils plan to install 400 multifunctional lamp posts But a government spokesman said removing those two devices would mean the lamp posts’ ability to measure journey time, detect traffic incidents and monitor road conditions, as well as track illegal dumping, would have to be dropped, at least for now. The committee said one alternative to consider was a device that could detect the presence of light to allow tracking of vehicle flows. The government began installing the lamp posts in June of last year, with the first 50 set up in districts and along roads with heavy pedestrian and traffic flows, including Kowloon Bay, Shing Kai Road in Kai Tak and Kwun Tong. Additional ones are slated to go up in other neighbourhoods, including Central, Admiralty, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui. The total cost of the project is HK$272 million (US$34.7 million) and is slated to take three years. But the committee said the lamp posts should be installed only in locations where there was a clear need for their functions, such as illegal dumping black spots or congested areas, and the local district council should be consulted first. The government should also provide guidelines on how data was collection and samples, as well as allow an independent party to occasionally review how the lamp posts were used, the committee said “Notwithstanding the grave public concern over privacy matters arising from the smart lamp posts pilot scheme in recent months, the committee considers it necessary to seek a consensus in the long run as to how to strike a good balance between privacy protection and smart city development, lest Hong Kong will lag behind other major cities around the world,” the experts said. “The government should conduct thorough assessments on potential personal data privacy impacts, and manage any risk exposure fully and properly.” ‘Smart city’ sceptics must be won over The lamp posts can also be equipped with technology that allows for the transfer of 4G/5G signals, once the new mobile network is ready. Amid public concerns about possible exposure to harmful radiation, the committee recommended that ones acting as 5G base stations be installed at appropriate locations to ensure people are kept at a minimum distance.