[blfr]

Google's business model is based on selling user-generated data to advertisers, unlike telcos who sell network data to you.

Come on. Telcos are just not competent enough to do what Google do. It's not like they're morally opposed to it or wouldn't try. Remember Verizon injecting headers into their users' http traffic to track them for advertisers?

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/11/verizon-x-uidh

[walterbell]

Surveillance incompetence is a feature, not a bug, in a neutral network provider.

Edit: the onus is on the city to negotiate better terms with the network provider. The city would have a better negotiating position if there were multiple vendors (including telcos) competing for the network/data business. Once better terms are in the contract, security researchers can help ensure compliance.

[blfr]

No, it isn't. That just means they will spill your data to some random 17yr old who figures out how to increment a parameter in the URL or something.