De Risicometer / The Riskmeter (2017) is an installation about collecting data and information to spot risky citizens.
For this project Merel Smitt designed a Risk Meter which can be used to explore how risky your behavior is.
On the risk meter you find features and indications that can be retrieved by data. For example by monitoring a persons behaviour on the internet (search engines, social media, e-mail) but also through all the info that is being monitored these days by companies and the government.
The idea behind the installation is to let people experience what it is like to live in a society where this kind of information is being used to estimate whether your behaviour could be seen as a risky in the future. Is this making you feel more safe? Or is it making you feel less free?
The phenomenon of using data to give you certain privileges or take a way certain privileges is already happening in countries like Singapore and China where each citizen has a score that is being influenced by your bahaviour on the internet but also in public space. This can take away your privileged on buying a house or has consequences for you health care.
