In 2012, researchers in Germany analyzed several smart meters and discovered that the devices transmitted unencrypted data, allowing the researchers to know whether or not anyone was home. The data even revealed what movie was being watched on TV.
The U.S. Department of Energy even warned that information collected by smart meters could be shared with third parties such as insurance companies, creditors and businesses that could use the information to learn about a homeowner’s habits.
Former CIA Director James Woolsey even called the entire smart grid “stupid” while noting how easily smart meters could be hacked.
Smart meters have also raised massive health concerns regarding the amount of electromagnetic radiation being emitted. Several doctors, including physician and epidemiologist Sam Milham, say the meters give off as much as 100 times the amount of radiation as a cell phone and have been linked to several health issues.
Daniel Hirsch, a senior lecturer on nuclear policy at UCSC, says the federal government purposely misleads the public on smart meter safety by conducting biased studies backed by power companies.
An investigation by WSUA 9 News also found that a power company in Washington DC was lying to the public about how often their smart meters emitted radiation. The company stated that the meters emitted radiation once every 4 to 6 hours despite the investigation finding the number to be 4 to 6 times every minute.
While some have been able to opt-out of the smart meter program, others have had meters installed on their property against their will. Two mothers in Illinois were arrested earlier this year for legally filming police and trying to block city utility workers from installing the new meters.
No comments:
Post a Comment