SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — A City of Santa Barbara app designed to make it easier for residents to report problems around town is facing new questions about transparency and data privacy.
SB Connect allows residents to report issues ranging from potholes and damaged street signs to graffiti and illegal dumping.
But a recent Grand Jury report examining the city's service-request system has prompted a closer look at how the system works — including what information is collected from people who use it.
What information does SB Connect collect?
According to the City of Santa Barbara, SB Connect uses information from a user's mobile device, including location information, when the app is opened and used.
The city says location information helps tailor the app to the user's current location and that location is shared when a resident voluntarily submits a report.
However, the app's privacy disclosures list a broader range of information that may be collected and linked to users.
That includes precise and coarse location, contact information, photos and videos, search history, user identifiers, device information, product interaction data and diagnostic information.
The privacy disclosures also state that the information comes from the developer and has not been verified by Apple.
That raises a key question for residents: What information is actually being collected by SB Connect, and what happens to it once it is collected?
How anonymous is an “anonymous” report?
SB Connect allows residents to submit service requests without creating an account.
But privacy experts say the word “anonymous” can be complicated when an app also collects technical information about the device or network being used.
The platform's privacy policy describes information that may include an IP address, mobile-device information, device identifiers, location, date and time information and user activity.
That does not necessarily mean all of that information is collected every time a Santa Barbara resident submits a report.
The city and the app's developer, Granicus, can clarify which categories apply specifically to SB Connect.
Residents can also choose whether a service request is private.
The city says non-private requests can include information such as uploaded images, the reported location or approximate address and the original description. Those requests may also be searchable online.
What changed after the Grand Jury report?
The privacy questions come as the city responds to a recent Grand Jury report examining SB Connect and the city's handling of resident service requests.
The report raised concerns about transparency and accountability, including how requests are handled and closed.
The city says it has since implemented changes to its SB Connect processes, including standardized workflows, additional oversight and controls intended to prevent requests from being prematurely closed.
The city is also reviewing older requests that did not receive responses.
The changes address concerns about how the city responds to reports.
But they also provide an opportunity to ask a separate question:
What has changed, if anything, about the way residents' data is collected, stored and used?
What should residents know?
Privacy experts recommend that people pay attention to the permissions they give mobile apps — including government apps.
For SB Connect users, that means checking location permissions and understanding whether a submitted request will be public or private.
Residents should also understand what information they voluntarily provide, including photographs, videos, audio recordings and descriptions.
The city says SB Connect is intended to improve communication between residents and local government.
The privacy question is whether residents have enough information to understand the tradeoff between that convenience and the information they provide.
Your News Channel plans to ask the City of Santa Barbara to clarify exactly what categories of user data SB Connect collects, how long that information is retained, who has access to it and whether any privacy practices have changed following the Grand Jury report.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
What does Santa Barbara’s SB Connect app know about you? Privacy questions put app under scrutiny News Channel 3-12.
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