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LinkNYC
FoundedNovember 7, 2014; 9 years ago (2014-11-07)
HeadquartersNew York City, New York, U.S.
Area served
New York metropolitan area
BrandsLinkNYC
ServicesWireless communication
OwnerIntersection (CityBridge consortium)
Qualcomm
CIVIQ Smartscapes
Websitelink.nyc

LinkNYC is a program to distribute the Internet to more in New York City. The first kiosks, or "Links," started in late 2015. The initial plan, supported by the CityBridge, intended to install 7,000 kiosks across the city.

CityBridge deployed 1,800 LinkNYC units, most in Manhattan and few in other boroughs.[1] Google became a major investor, through Sidewalk Labs. Ad sales were difficult and the company defaulted on $70 million owed to the city.[2]

Management of CityBridge was assumed by ZenFi, an established infrastructure builder investing $200 million, and Intersection, an advertising organization. ZenFi in turn was acquired by BAI Communications in July, 2022[3]

It has installed the first of the new, 32 foot kiosks with provisions for 5G small cells from up to 4 companies. "Dozens will deploy before the end of 2022 and 2,000 by 2026[4]

The earlier 9.5-foot-tall (2.9 m) Links feature two 55-inch (140 cm) high-definition displays on their sides; Android tablet computers for accessing city maps, directions, and services, and making video calls; two free USB charging stations for smartphones; and a phone allowing free calls to all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The Links also provide the ability to use calling cards to make international calls, and each Link has one button to call 9-1-1 directly.

Tablet with keypad, 9-1-1 button, and headphone jack

Concerns

Tracking

The deployment of the Links and the method, process, eventual selection, and ownership of entities involved in the project has come under scrutiny by privacy advocates, who express concerns about the terms of service, the financial model, and the collection of end users' data.[5][6][7][8] These concerns are aggravated by the involvement of Sidewalk Labs, which belongs to Google's holding company, Alphabet Inc.[5] Google already has the ability to track the majority of all website visits,[9] and LinkNYC could be used to track people's movements.[5] Nick Pinto of the Village Voice, a Lower Manhattan newspaper, wrote:

Google is in the business of taking as much information as it can get away with, from as many sources as possible, until someone steps in to stop it. ... But LinkNYC marks a radical step even for Google. It is an effort to establish a permanent presence across our city, block by block, and to extend its online model to the physical landscape we humans occupy on a daily basis. The company then intends to clone that system and start selling it around the world, government by government, to as many as will buy.[5]

A newly installed Link

In March 2016, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the New York City office of the American Civil Liberties Union, wrote a letter to Mayor de Blasio outlining their privacy concerns.[7][8] In the letter, representatives for the NYCLU wrote that CityBridge could be retaining too much information about LinkNYC users. They also stated that the privacy policy was vague and needed to be clarified. They recommended that the privacy policy be rewritten so that it expressly mentions whether the Links' environmental sensors or cameras are being used by the NYPD for surveillance or by other city systems.[7] In response, LinkNYC updated its privacy policy to make clear that the kiosks do not store users' browsing history or track the websites visited while using LinkNYC's Wi-Fi,[10] a step that NYCLU commended.[11]

In an unrelated incident, Titan, one of the members of CityBridge, was accused of embedding Bluetooth radio transmitters in their phones, which could be used to track phone users' movements without their consent.[12][13] These beacons were later found to have been permitted by the DOITT, but "without any public notice, consultation, or approval," so they were removed in October 2014.[12] Despite the removal of the transmitters, Titan is proposing putting similar tracking devices on Links, but if the company decides to go through with the plan, it has to notify the public in advance.[12]

In 2018, a New York City College of Technology undergraduate student, Charles Myers, found that LinkNYC had published folders on GitHub titled "LinkNYC Mobile Observation" and "RxLocation". He shared these with The Intercept website, which wrote that the folders indicated that identifiable user data was being collected, including information on the user's coordinates, web browser, operating system, and device details, among other things. However, LinkNYC disputed these claims and filed a Digital Millennium Copyright Act claim to force GitHub to remove files containing code that Meyer had copied from LinkNYC's GitHub account.[14]

Other privacy issues

According to LinkNYC, it does not monitor its kiosks' Wi-Fi, nor does it give information to third parties.[15] However, data will be given to law enforcement officials in situations where LinkNYC is legally obliged.[16][8] Its privacy policy states that it can collect personally identifiable information (PII) from users to give to "service providers, and sub-contractors to the extent reasonably necessary to enable us provide the Services; a third party that acquires CityBridge or a majority of its assets [if CityBridge was acquired by that third party]; a third party with whom we must legally share information about you; you, upon your request; [and] other third parties with your express consent to do so."[17] Non-personally identifiable information can be shared with service providers and advertisers.[18][17] The privacy policy also states that "in the event that we receive a request from a governmental entity to provide it with your Personally [sic] Information, we will take reasonable attempts to notify you of such request, to the extent possible."[15][17]

There are also concerns that despite the WPA/WPA2 encryption, hackers may still be able to steal other users' data, especially since the LinkNYC Wi-Fi network has millions of users. To reduce the risk of data theft, LinkNYC is deploying a better encryption system for devices that have Hotspot 2.0.[15][19] Another concern is that hackers could affect the tablet itself by redirecting it to a malware site when users put in PII, or adding a keystroke logging program to the tablets.[20] To protect against this, CityBridge places in "a series of filters and proxies" that prevents malware from being installed; ends a session when a tablet is detected communicating with a command-and-control server; and resets the entire kiosk after 15 seconds of inactivity.[20][21] The USB ports have been configured so that they can only be used to charge devices. However, the USB ports are still susceptible to physical tampering with skimmers, which may lead to a user's device getting a malware infection while charging; this is prevented by the more than 30 anti-vandalism sensors on each Link.[20][21]

Yet another concern is that a person may carry out a spoofing attack by renaming their personal Wi-Fi network to "LinkNYC." This is potentially dangerous since many electronic devices tend to automatically connect to networks with a given name, but do not differentiate between the different networks.[20] One reporter for The Verge suggested that to circumvent this, a person could turn off their mobile device's Wi-Fi while in the vicinity of a kiosk, or "forget" the LinkNYC network altogether.[20]

The cameras on the top of each kiosk's tablet posed a concern in some communities where these cameras face the interiors of buildings. However, as of July 2017, the cameras were not activated.[22]

Browser access and content filtering

A Link with its tablet turned off due to the screens' browsing capabilities being shut off in September 2016. Instead, the tablet shows the reflection of the street scene in the background.

In the summer of 2016, a content filter was set up on the Links to restrict navigation to certain websites, such as pornography sites and other sites with not safe for work (NSFW) content.[23] This was described as a problem especially among the homeless,[24] and at least one video showed a homeless man watching pornography on a LinkNYC tablet.[23] This problem has supposedly been ongoing since at least January 2016.[24] Despite the existence of the filter, Link users still found a way to bypass these filters.[21][25][26][27] The filters, which consisted of Google SafeSearch as well as a web blocker that was based on the web blockers of many schools, were intentionally lax to begin with because LinkNYC feared that stricter filters that blocked certain keywords would alienate customers.[27] Other challenges included the fact that "stimulating" user-generated content can be found on popular, relatively interactive websites like Tumblr and YouTube; it is hard to block NSFW content on these sites, because that would entail blocking the entire website when only a small portion hosts NSFW content. In addition, it was hard, if not impossible, for LinkNYC to block new websites with NSFW content, as such websites are constantly being created.[27]

A few days after Díaz's and Johnson's statements, the web browsers of the tablets embedded into the Links were disabled indefinitely due to concerns of illicit activities such as drug deals and NSFW website browsing.[28][29] LinkNYC cited "lewd acts" as the reason for shutting off the tables' browsing capabilities.[26] One Murray Hill resident reported that a homeless man "enthusiastically hump[ed]" a Link in her neighborhood while watching pornography.[24] Despite the tablets being disabled, the 9-1-1 capabilities, maps, and phone calls would still be usable, and people can still use LinkNYC Wi-Fi from their own devices.[30][26][29]

The disabling of the LinkNYC tablets' browsers had stoked fears about further restrictions on the Links. The Independent, a British newspaper, surveyed some homeless New Yorkers and found that while most of these homeless citizens used the kiosks for legitimate reasons (usually not to browse NSFW content), many of the interviewees were scared that LinkNYC may eventually charge money to use the internet via the Links, or that the kiosks may be demolished altogether.[31] The Guardian, another British newspaper, came to a similar conclusion; one of the LinkNYC users they interviewed said that the Links are "very helpful, but of course bad people messed it up for everyone."[32] In a press release, LinkNYC refuted fears that service would be paywalled or eliminated, though it did state that several improvements, including dimming the kiosks and lowering maximum volumes, were being implemented to reduce the kiosks' effect on the surrounding communities.[30]

Immediately after the disabling of the tablets' browsing capabilities, reports of loitering near kiosks decreased by more than 80%.[33][34] By the next year, such complaints had dropped 96% from the pre-September 2016 figure.[35] The tablets' use, as a whole, has increased 12%, with more unique users accessing maps, phone calls, and 3-1-1.[33][34]

Nuisance complaints

There have been scattered complaints in some communities that the LinkNYC towers themselves are a nuisance. These complaints mainly have to do with loitering, browser access, and kiosk volume, the latter two of which the city has resolved.[22] However, these nuisance complaints are rare citywide; of the 920 kiosks installed citywide by then, there had been only one complaint relating to the kiosk design itself.[22]

In September 2016, the borough president of the Bronx, Rubén Díaz Jr., called on city leaders to take stricter action, saying that "after learning about the inappropriate and over-extended usage of Links throughout the city, in particular in Manhattan, it is time to make adjustments that will allow all of our city residents to use this service safely and comfortably."[25] City Councilman Corey Johnson said that some police officials had called for several Links in Chelsea to be removed because homeless men had been watching NSFW content on these Links while children were nearby.[28][36] Barbara A. Blair, president of the Garment District Alliance, stated that "people are congregating around these Links to the point where they're bringing furniture and building little encampments clustered around them. It's created this really unfortunate and actually deplorable condition."[28]

A related problem arising from the tablets' browser access was that even though the tablets were intended for people to use it for a short period of time, the Links began being "monopolized" almost as soon as they were unveiled.[25] Some people would use the Links for hours at a time.[28] Particularly, homeless New Yorkers would sometimes loiter around the Links, using newspaper dispensers and milk crates as "makeshift furniture" on which they could sit while using the Links.[28][37][36] The New York Post characterized the Links as having become "living rooms for vagrants."[38] As a result, LinkNYC staff were working on a way to help ensure that Links would not be monopolized by one or two people.[25][30] Proposals for solutions included putting time limits on how long the tablets could be used by any one person.[39]

Some people stated that the Links could also be used for loitering and illicit phone calls.[36][40] One Hell's Kitchen bar owner cited concerns about the users of a Link located right outside his bar, including a homeless man who a patron complained was a "creeper" watching animal pornography, as well as several people who made drug deals using the Link's phone capabilities while families were nearby.[40] In Greenpoint, locals alleged that after Links were activated in their neighborhood in July 2017, these particular kiosks became locations for drug deals; however, that particular Link was installed near a known drug den.[35]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Big Tech Pays to Supersize LinkNYC and Revive Broken Promise to Bridge Digital Divide". The City. 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  2. ^ "DiNapoli Examines Faltering LinkNYC Program". Office of the New York State Comptroller. 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  3. ^ Communications, B. A. I. "BAI Communications accelerates US growth with agreement to acquire digital infrastructure provider ZenFi Networks". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  4. ^ "LinkNYC 5G kiosks offer better Wi-Fi in underserved communities". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  5. ^ a b c d Pinto, Nick (July 6, 2016). "Google Is Transforming NYC's Payphones Into a 'Personalized Propaganda Engine'". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  6. ^ Dean, Benjamin; Hirose, Mariko (July 24, 2016). "LinkNYC Spy Stations - from HOPE XI - LAMARR" (Livestream video). HOPE XI - The Eleventh HOPE Hackers On Planet Earth!. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Hirose, Mariko; Miller, Johanna (March 15, 2016). "Re: LinkNYC Privacy Policy" (PDF). www.nyclu.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c Waddell, Kaveh. "Will New York City's Free Wi-Fi Help Police Watch You?". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  9. ^ Yu, Zhonghao; Macbeth, Sam; Modi, Konark; Pujol, Josep M. (2016). "Tracking the Trackers". Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on World Wide Web. Montreal, Canada: International World Wide Web Conferences Steering Committee. pp. 121–132. ISBN 978-1-4503-4143-1. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  10. ^ Intersection (December 20, 2018). "Privacy Policy". LinkNYC. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  11. ^ "City Strengthens Public Wi-Fi Privacy Policy After NYCLU Raises Concerns". NYCLU. 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  12. ^ a b c Stuart, Tessa (November 19, 2014). "New Wi-Fi 'Payphones' May Include Controversial Location-Tracking Beacons". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  13. ^ Brown, Stephen Rex (October 6, 2014). "Manhattan phone booths rigged to follow your every step". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  14. ^ "Are New York's Free LinkNYC Internet Kiosks Tracking Your Movements?". The Intercept. September 8, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  15. ^ a b c Robbins, Christopher (January 5, 2016). "Brace For The "Fastest Internet You've Ever Used" At These Free Sidewalk Kiosks". Gothamist. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  16. ^ Alba, Alejandro (January 5, 2016). "New York to start replacing payphones with Wi-Fi kiosks". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  17. ^ a b c "PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS STRUCTURE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT: Exhibit 2 – Privacy Policy: CityBridge, LLC" (PDF). nyc.gov. Government of New York City. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  18. ^ Chowdhry, Amit (November 19, 2014). "Pay Phones In NYC To Be Replaced With Up To 10,000 Free Wi-Fi Kiosks Next Year". Forbes. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  19. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Announces Public Launch of LinkNYC Program". nyc.gov. Government of New York City. February 18, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  20. ^ a b c d e Carman, Ashley (January 20, 2016). "How secure are New York City's new Wi-Fi hubs?". The Verge. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  21. ^ a b c Biersdorfer, J. D. (August 26, 2016). "Are the Free Wi-Fi Kiosks on New York Streets Safe?". The New York Times. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  22. ^ a b c Frost, Mary (July 31, 2017). "LinkNYC kiosks not a hit with everyone". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  23. ^ a b Chung, Jen (July 28, 2016). "Yes, NYC's New WiFi Kiosks Are Still Being Used To View Porn". Gothamist. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  24. ^ a b c DeGregory, Priscilla; Rosenbaum, Sophia (September 11, 2016). "Bum caught masturbating in broad daylight next to Wi-Fi kiosk". New York Post. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  25. ^ a b c d Chan, Shirley (September 12, 2016). "More lewd acts purportedly spotted at Manhattan Wi-Fi kiosks". New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  26. ^ a b c Brodkin, Jon (September 14, 2016). "After "lewd acts," NYC's free Internet kiosks disable Web browsing". Ars Technica. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  27. ^ a b c King, Hope (July 30, 2016). "Why free Wi-Fi kiosks in NYC can't stop people from watching porn in public". CNNMoney. CNN. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  28. ^ a b c d e Mcgeehan, Patrick (September 14, 2016). "Free Wi-Fi Was to Aid New Yorkers. An Unsavory Side Spurs a Retreat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  29. ^ a b Burns, Janet W. (September 16, 2016). "LinkNYC Drops Web Access From Kiosks After Some Users Watch Porn". Forbes. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  30. ^ a b c "Service Update". CityBridge / LinkNYC. Intersection. September 14, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  31. ^ "Homeless men took over New York's public WiFi to watch porn, TV and YouTube". The Independent. August 23, 2016. Archived from the original on 2022-06-14. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  32. ^ Puglise, Nicole (September 15, 2016). "'Bad people messed it up': misuse forces changes to New York's Wi-Fi kiosks". the Guardian. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  33. ^ a b Pereira, Ivan (October 4, 2016). "LinkNYC: Over 576,000 have used free Wi-Fi at kiosks". am New York. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  34. ^ a b Fermino, Jennifer (October 4, 2016). "LinkNYC kiosks usage rises 12% month after web browsing disabled". NY Daily News. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  35. ^ a b Hogan, Gwynne (2017-09-22). "Greenpoint LinkNYC Kiosk Acts As 'Drug Den' Concierge: Neighbors". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on 2017-10-01. Retrieved 2017-10-01.
  36. ^ a b c Rajamani, Maya (August 30, 2016). "LinkNYC Users Watching Porn, Doing Drugs on Chelsea Sidewalks, Locals Say". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  37. ^ Huber, Linda (September 14, 2016). "Is New York City's Public Wi-Fi Actually Connecting the Poor?". motherboard.vice.com. Vice. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  38. ^ Fonrouge, Gabrielle (August 29, 2016). "Wi-Fi kiosks have become living rooms for vagrants". New York Post. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  39. ^ Small, Eddie (September 1, 2016). "LinkNYC Should Have Time Limits in Wake of Porn Complaints, Official Says". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  40. ^ a b Marcius, Chelsia; Burke, Kerry; Fermino, Jennifer (September 15, 2016). "LinkNYC kiosks still concern for locals even without web browsing". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
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