Behind the Scenes of Surveillance: Urban Citizens' Narratives of Privacy Loss Amid the Promise of Smart Cities and Big Data
Keywords:
Smart City, Privacy, Surveillance, Digital Democracy, Big Data, Urban GovernanceAbstract
This study examines urban citizens’ narratives of privacy loss amid the implementation of smart city initiatives and the expanding use of big data in Indonesia. While smart cities are promoted as solutions for improving public service efficiency and urban governance, they simultaneously intensify data collection practices that raise serious concerns regarding citizen privacy and democratic participation. This research aims to explore how urban residents interpret experiences of data collection, perceive the erosion of privacy, and relate these experiences to the practice of digital democracy. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the study draws on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six purposively selected residents of Bandung City who actively engage with technology-based public services. The data were analyzed using narrative analysis to identify recurring themes and meanings within participants’ lived experiences. The findings reveal several key issues, including fragmented awareness of data governance, information asymmetry between citizens and authorities, passive acceptance of surveillance practices, and a paradox between convenience and data sovereignty. Moreover, the study identifies the emergence of digital resignation and self-censorship, which potentially weaken the quality of the public sphere and democratic participation. These findings indicate that smart city development tends to prioritize technological efficiency over the protection of citizen rights, thereby reproducing unequal power relations in data governance. The study recommends a shift toward a rights-based smart city model that emphasizes transparency, citizen participation, digital literacy, and robust data protection mechanisms to ensure that technological innovation aligns with the principles of privacy protection and digital democracy.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Nadiya Rahma Tazkiya, Najwa Humairo, Najwa Putri Az Zahra, Revansha Ksatria Nugroho, Tengku Farrel Riyadah Farrel
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