Wireless street lights can play music, video, interact with pedestrians, and have ‘Homeland Security’ applications like video surveillance monitors. Las Vegas residents worry that the lights are an invasion of privacy – ‘Who’s protecting our rights? Some cities in the UK and Holland have street lights that reprimand pedestrians for minor offenses like littering.

Las Vegas is currently installing Intellistreet lights to their well-lit city. But Intellistreets are not just any street-lighting system. The wireless, LED lighting, computer-operated lights are not only capable of illuminating streets, they can also play music, interact with pedestrians, and are equipped with video screens, which can display police alerts, weather alerts, and traffic information.

The high tech lights can also stream live video of activity in the surrounding area. But there’s one major concern. These new street lights, being rolled out with the aid of government funding, are also capable of recording video and audio. Neil Rohleder with the Public Works Department stated that the main reason for installing the new lighting system is not to record anyone or anything. ‘We want to develop more than just the street lighting component,’ Rohleder said . ‘We want to develop an experience for the people who come downtown.’

But some residents worry that the lights, which are currently being tested in and around Las Vegas City Hall, are an invasion of privacy. […]

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