The New York City Taxi System: Privacy vs. Utility

Presented at The Last HOPE (2008), July 18, 2008, 8 p.m. (60 minutes).

When people think of New York City, three icons come to mind: the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the classic yellow taxi cab. However, even the most seasoned New Yorker barely understands the complicated system that transports over 241 million passengers every year, includes more than 40,000 vehicles, and generates in excess of $2 billion every year. During this presentation you will learn about the New York City taxi system and how the new technologies (such as GPS tracking, credit card transactions, SMS messaging, and touch screen kiosks in the car) are being implemented, including the privacy and security concerns that surround them. You'll also take a peek at some of the proposed changes that will make the New York City taxi system more accessible and more efficient.


Presenters:

  • Nick Leghorn
    Nick Leghorn is a junior at the Pennsylvania State University majoring in security and risk analysis, with a specialization in information and cyber security. He has spent the summer analyzing the data from the GPS systems in the New York City taxi cabs and working with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, the regulatory agency that controls all of the "for hire" vehicles in the area.

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