E-Scooters that can be easily hacked could lead to a new type of street crime
Last year, with not much advance notice, a handful of companies filled cities from the San Francisco area with app-controlled electric scooters. Basically, anyone with the right app could ride one of the branded e-scooters, but the parking was the problematic part.
Scooters ended up blocking sidewalks, streets, gutters, and doorways until the citizens massively complained and the city banned the scooters for several months. But now, two new e-scooter companies have signed a deal with the city promising to do it right this time around.
One might think that living in a “smart city” with “smart” travel options like e-scooters and autonomous cars is a good thing, that using software to make the city more energy efficient and user-friendly is the way to go, but there’s just one problem, if everything is remotely accessible, then so are you.
That’s exactly how a new kind of street crime will emerge, by using the app to get the scooter, a lot of information will be sent to the renting company, like credit card and email information, as well as the places you will be at. Once the thief has access to your email they can gain access to your computer systems at work or even your home in case you have “smart” appliances for locking your house or for controlling your heating system.
Source: newscientist.com
