PETRAS P-PITEE Project Launches TrustLens Toolkit

The PETRAS P-PITEE project has launched a new interactive tool called TrustLens aiming to help organisations use technology in public spaces.

The team has been working on a wider project alongside Lancaster City Council and the University of Aberdeen to explore the ethical use of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors. TrustLens was developed as part of the Participatory Policies for IOT (at the Edge) Ethics, funded by UK Research and Innovation via PETRAS.

An example of how such technologies can improve public spaces can be found in smart street lights that turn on only when required. However, organisations need to think of potential privacy risks before using smart devices in public. The new toolkit tackles this issue by providing valuable information about the deployment of such technologies.

This information is free to download in the TrustLens website, which also encourages organisations to design, use or plan IoT technologies “through a series of questions to guide scoping, development and operation”. Resources also include guidelines for facilitators and examples that enable organisations to follow their own process.

Find more about the TrustLens toolkit here.