Smart City Development in Hong Kong: An Ethical Analysis

ABSTRACT: Like many cities in advanced economies, Hong Kong has embraced the “smart city” agenda. In this article, we engage with a number of ethical issues surrounding smart city development. We assess the ethical implications of four different smart city initiatives in Hong Kong – the use of a facial recognition system, the Smart Lamppost Pilot Scheme, the Free-flow Tolling System, and Electronic Health Record.Sharing System – from the perspective of relational egalitarianism. Our analysis suggests that there are various moral risks – that a particular smart city initiative may fall short of some relevant normative requirements – depending on the levels of their voluntariness and transparency. Finally, we consider a number of strategies for mitigating these moral risks and maintaining socially egalitarian relationships among citizens of a smart city. KEYWORDS: smart city, Hong Kong, social equality, trust, transparency.