Smart cities are built on data. But who owns that data and what are the rules governing its collection, use and ownership?

Natasha Tusikov, Assistant Professor of Criminology at York University and author of Chokepoints: Global Private Regulation on the Internet, will address these and other questions surrounding data governance during a talk at Brock on Friday, Oct. 19.

Natasha Tusikov will speak at Brock on Friday, Oct. 19.

Held from noon to 1 p.m. in Welch Hall 202, her presentation will look at how data is governed in smart cities and with what implications.

For instance, when companies build and operate smart-city systems like traffic control or energy management, how does the collection and use of data within privately run (often proprietary) systems affect public policy and government regulatory activities?

Tusikov’s talk titled “Governing Data in Smart Cities” will focus on her research project on data governance in smart cities with a focus on Sidewalk Labs’ proposed smart city in Toronto’s Quayside neighbourhood.

The talk is part of Brock’s Department of Political Science Speaker Series, which runs monthly throughout the academic year, with the exception of December and April.

For more information on this and other talks in the series, email political.science@brocku.ca