The Greater London Authority (GLA) has published a catalogue of data protection impact assessments of London’s smart city projects. The London Privacy Register collects in one place details on projects that collect personal information in London’s public spaces.

The GLA anticipates that over the next decade London’s adoption of smart city technologies will expand significantly. These will include: networks of sensors, cameras, drones, robotics, mobility services, augmented and virtual reality, and automated and algorithmic decision-making.

The Privacy Register is part of the Mayor of London’s Emerging Technology Charter for London to guide the trialling and use of these data-gathering smart city technologies (and the Public London Charter which sets out the rights and responsibilities of the users, owners and managers of new public spaces).

When a project is likely to result in a high risk to individuals’ privacy, organisations are currently required to undertake a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIAs), a legal obligation to minimise risks identified.

A privacy notice is also required when handling personal information, this tells everybody why personal information is being collected, for what purpose, where it is stored, and for how long.

The Information Commissioner’s Office encourages but does not mandate publication of DPIAs

The Register is currently published as a Beta. The authority reports that it may change following feedback from users.

There’s also a function where Londoners can request the publication of a DPIA/privacy register for smart city technologies operating in the public realm. A request will trigger a communication from the Chief Digital Officer for London to the organisation responsible asking for DPIA publication.