Threat to Privacy A presentation on how ‘smart’ meters threaten both our privacy and our freedom to lead our lives as we choose. by David Sheldon

Why is Privacy Important? The freedom to lead our lives depends on our being able to establish areas of our lives that are not monitored and controlled by others. If our employer can pry into all our daily living habits, it may turn out that we have to conform to the employer’s dictates in order to hold on to our jobs. If an insurance company can pry into all our daily living habits, it may turn out that we are denied insurance unless we live according to its dictates. If our government can pry into all our daily living habits, it may turn out that every aspect of our personal lives can be regulated and controlled.

Privacy Assault – Phase One The installation of a ‘smart’ electric, gas or water meter on your home All 3 types of meters reveal information about your private life. The electric ‘smart meter’ reveals the most and is also a kind of ‘gateway drug’, leading to still further intrusion when you are forced to buy ‘smart appliances’.

Data Revealed - ‘Smart’ Meter Alone Once a ‘smart’ electrical meter is installed on your home, even before there are any smart appliances in the home, much information about your daily activities will be revealed to the utility company – and to anyone who can buy (or hack into) the data the meter generates.

Each Appliance Has Unique ‘Signature’ Amount of current draw Duration of current draw Startup or ‘inrush’ current Whether current drawn is in step with applied voltage or lags behind (‘power factor’) Whether there is a regular pattern of on and off cycles.

One Minute Intervals With Appliance ID

Utility Can Change Recording Interval Most utilities now say electric usage will be recorded separately for each hour. These readings will be stored in meter’s memory and may be transmitted less often than hourly. The ‘smart’ meters are remotely programmable. The utility can change the recording interval times by remote control at ANY time, with or without notice to homeowner.

Software to Automate Data Extraction In California, utilities already have permission to sell smart meter data to 3 rd party marketing companies. Software is already on the market that will transform a raw data graph into usable information about lifestyle, habits, kinds of appliances being used, etc. A battle is already in progress about who controls all this data.

Information Revealed by ‘Smart’ Meter - 1 When does utility customer sleep? Is he/she getting enough hours of sleep? Is there more than one refrigerator in house?

Information Revealed by ‘Smart’ Meter - 2 Is there more than one stove? Is there more than one washing machine? Is there more than one family living here?

Who Would Want This Information? Insurance Companies Employers Marketing Companies Police

Privacy Assault – Phase Two ‘Smart’ appliances will give the utility the power to turn off individual appliances in your home. The utilities are saying these programs will be ‘voluntary’ (for now anyway) Soon you will not be able to buy any appliance that is not ‘smart’.

Federal Privacy Guidelines NOT Being Followed The National Institute for Standards & Technology formed a working group to study and recommend appropriate standards for protecting people’s privacy within a smart grid system. This group, called The Smart Grid Interoperability Panel–Cyber Security Working Group, issued a report in August Choice and Consent. An organization should clearly, fully, and accurately describe the choices available to individuals, and to the extent practicable, obtain explicit approval for the collection and use of their personal information. Consumers should have the option to forgo data collection and services that are not related to the core services provided by the organization.

What To Do? Inform utility, by certified letter, that you DO NOT CONSENT to the installation of a ‘smart’ meter on your home. Post a sign on or next to your meter to inform the installer that you DO NOT CONSENT to such installation Lock your meter housing if possible. If meter already installed, demand its removal, and consider self help if your demand for removal is not honored.

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