Waikato Business News July/August 2017

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS July/August 2017 51
New Zealanders ‘careful with personal data’
Organisations need to address privacy
and data security concerns and provide
compelling reasons for Kiwi consumers to
agree to share personal data.
New Zealanders are selective
about the circumstances
in which
they support sharing personal
data with government agencies
and commercial organisations
via the Internet of Things
(IoT), according to the 2017
Unisys Security Index.
These findings
highlight that
when it comes to
personal data, there
is a very delicate
balance between
privacy, security and
convenience – even
for organisations
generally trusted by
the public
The Unisys Security Index
is a global study that gauges
the attitudes of consumers on a
wide range of security issues.
The 2017 study examined how
willing New Zealanders are to
share data with organisations
via data analytics and the Internet
of Things (IoT) – where
devices can send information
to other devices or systems via
the Internet. The study polled
1012 adults in New Zealand
during April 2017.
The vast majority of New
Zealanders, 84 percent, support
using a button on their
smartphones or smartwatches
to alert police to their location
during emergencies. Yet
only 31 percent support police
being able to monitor fitness
tracker data anytime to determine
their location at a certain
time.
The findings indicate that
New Zealanders will embrace
IoT when they see a compelling
reason such as personal
safety and medical emergencies.
But concerns about privacy
and data security suggest
they want to be able to control
which organisations can access
their data.
Most New Zealanders (74
percent of respondents) support
medical devices such as
pacemakers or blood sugar
sensors automatically transmitting
significant changes to
a patient’s doctor. And 70 percent
support the use of sensors
in luggage to advise passengers
at airports if their luggage
has been unloaded and what
carousel it will be on.
Yet many fewer New Zealanders
(27 percent) support
using a smartwatch app to
make payments, or a health insurer
accessing fitness tracker
data to determine a premium
or reward customers for good
behaviour (20 percent).
“These findings highlight
that when it comes to personal
data, there is a very delicate
balance between privacy, security
and convenience – even
for organisations generally
trusted by the public,” said
John Kendall, director of border
and national security programs,
Unisys. “For example,
people are happy to use their
smartwatches to alert police to
their location when they need
help, but they don’t want police
to freely access that data at
any time – they want to control
when they share their data.”
What Are the Barriers to IoT
Acceptance?
Of the New Zealanders who
say they do not support various
IoT applications, most
cited privacy and security concerns
as key reasons. In particular,
many say they would not
support an IoT application if
they do not see a compelling
enough reason to share their
data or if they do not want an
organisation to have such data
about them. Data security is
the biggest barrier cited for
not supporting a smartwatch
payment app.
Richard Parker, vice president
financial services, Unisys
Asia Pacific says: “To address
consumer concern around data
security of smartwatch payment
channels, banks need a
multi-pronged approach that
spans technology and policies
to secure the data, as well as
reassuring customers by communicating
the steps taken by
the bank to protect them – a
fine line in delivering a frictionless
customer experience
whilst making sure they are
secure.”
Which Wearable Biometrics
Do Kiwis Support?
Wearable biometrics technology
that analyses human characteristics
to confirm an identity
or monitor critical medical
data are part of the IoT phenomenon.
The vast majority of New
Zealanders support police or
border security staff wearing
facial recognition body cameras
to identify criminals or terrorists
who are on watch lists
(78 percent) or medical sensors
transmitting significant
changes to a patient’s doctor
(75 percent).
The survey results also
showed that fingerprint scans
on smartwatches could address
security concerns around
payment apps. “Approximately
half of Kiwis (51 percent)
support a fingerprint scan to
control access to data on a
smartwatch or to authorise a
payment from the smartwatch
(47 percent), with support
increasing with age. This is
a clear signal to banks that
biometrics could help alleviate
consumer concerns about
smartwatch payment channels,”
says Mr Parker.
While 49 percent of New
Zealanders support airline
staff wearing facial recognition
glasses to verify the
identity of passengers boarding
aircraft at airports, only
24 percent support the same
glasses being used to identify
VIP customers for special
treatment.
John Kendall explains:
“Kiwis see it as a trade-off:
‘Is there a compelling enough
reason for that organisation to
capture this information about
me?’ The findings reveal law
enforcement, national security
and serious medical conditions
are considered acceptable justification,
but customer loyalty
programs and employee tracking
are not – the impact on privacy
outweighs the personal
benefit.”
Support for Data Analytics
Varies
Support for analysis of data
collected from a range of
sources also varies – even
among different government
agencies. Fifty-seven percent
of New Zealanders support
border security officers analysing
the travel history of
passengers, and those whom
they are travelling with, to determine
if they are eligible for
fast-track border clearance.
Yet only 42 percent support
welfare agencies accessing
personal spending data from
credit card records and insurance
policies to verify if
benefit claims are legitimate.
And even fewer (21 percent)
support the tax office using the
same data to verify income tax
returns.
Furthermore, the majority
of New Zealanders do not
support data analytics being
used to sell goods and services
to them. Sixty-four percent do
not support banks monitoring
individual customer spending
behaviour to offer related
products such as insurance for
items they have purchased.
And 62 percent do not support
shop assistants using facial
recognition glasses to identify
loyalty programme members.
Richard Parker explains
that organisations that use data
analytics must be sensitive to
customer concerns. “Customers
expect businesses to know
them based on the history of
their relationship. In a world
where interactions may cross a
range of channels and not just
in person, many organisations
are turning to data analytics to
provide extra insight. Ironically,
while they may be trying
to improve the customer experience,
if businesses cross
the line and appear to invade
customers’ privacy by revealing
that they know more about
them than what the customer
has knowingly shared, it just
turns the customer off. Technology
alone is not enough; it
must be used in the context of
understanding human nature
and cultural norms.”
TEDxRuakura
returns in August
After a successful 2016
event, TEDxRuakura
returns this year with
an outstanding line-up of
speakers bringing ideas worth
spreading to Hamilton August
20.
From fire-breathing entrepreneurs,
equality champions
and storytellers, to cyber
security legends and technology
disruptors, the 2017
programme is diverse but the
speakers are all versed to present
their unique ideas in the
18-minute format.
The event is to be held at
the Gallagher Academy of
Performing Arts, the University
of Waikato with general
admission tickets costing
$100, and student concession
tickets $80. Ticket availability
is limited to create an intimate
experience and spark deep discussion
and connection with
the ideas presented by the
speakers.
Now in its third year running,
TEDxRuakura is curated
and choreographed by a dedicated
committee of local volunteers,
led by license-holder
and local business owner
Quentin Weber.
“To be able to offer Hamiltonians
an authentic TEDx
experience, with a cast of
high-caliber thought-leaders is
very exciting,” says Quentin.
“Our hope is that through
providing a knowledge-sharing
platform for these innovative
ideas, conversations
will be sparked between
like-minded people. We’d
love to see both TEDx enthusiasts
and those new to the
TEDx movement come along
and open their minds to new
ways of thinking.”
The full-day programme
will run from 10am to 5pm
with opportunities throughout
the day to network with other
attendees.
Logan Elliott
Linda Radosinska
Videos of the TEDxRuakura
talks will be made freely
available online after the
event, and all have the chance
to be featured on TED.com
Paloma Aelyon
Sam Elton-Walters
Rosie Bosworth
Tania Jones
and gain millions of views
from world-wide audiences.
The TEDxRuakura speakers
for 2017 are:
Michael Peters
Victor Ahipene
• Professor Michael Peters
• Victor Ahipene
• Paloma Aelyon
• Sam Elton-Walters
• Linda Radosinska
Ryan Ko
Andrew Judd
• Associate Professor Ryan Ko
• Andrew Judd
• Tania Jones
• Dr Rosie Bosworth
• Logan Elliott
Support for joint funding of critical infrastructure
A
government initiative to
allow public and private
investment in critically
needed infrastructure is a significant
step forward for the country,
according to the Employers
and Manufacturers Association
(EMA).
Crown Infrastructure Partners
was launched in July and
goes some way to addressing
particular concerns raised by
the EMA.
"We have been pushing
the need to look at different
models to remedy our national
infrastructure shortfall and
we see today’s announcement
as a clear win in this regard,"
say EMA chief executive, Kim
Campbell.
"In our recently released
Election Manifesto two of the
key areas we highlighted have
been somewhat addressed by
this announcement. Our manifesto
stated the importance
of expediting critical national
infrastructure and the pressing
need to broaden funding options
available to local authorities."
The Government announced
in July the re-purposing of
Crown Fibre Holdings into
Crown Infrastructure Partners
in which it will co-invest $600
million alongside local councils
and private investors to fund
road and water infrastructure
for housing developments. The
crown company will use the experience
and skills gained in the
fibre rollout to attract private investment
in infrastructure necessary
to open up large tracts of
land for housing development.
This will alleviate pressure
on cash-strapped councils
which are struggling to fund
new long-term infrastructure.
"This is targeted at enabling
much needed housing development
by resolving infrastructure
shortfalls in the sector, although
$600 million will not go
far. However, we are more interested
in how this model will
be used to address broader infrastructure
investment issues.
"For example there are a
number of major transport projects
in the Golden Triangle or
Auckland that require partial or
complete funding by councils.
When the new model is bedded
in and successful it could easily
be expanded to include these.
"Investment in critical national
infrastructure is vital to
drive the uplifts in economic
and social wellbeing that New
Zealanders expect. We need action
and today’s announcement
certainly bodes well for the
bold steps which need to be taken
to address our infrastructure
shortfall," says Mr Campbell.