In early 2016, the city of New York and the Google-backed consortium CityBridge launched LinkNYC, a communication network that enables residents and visitors to access Wi-Fi, charge their phones, and make domestic calls—all for free. The ten-feet tall kiosks scattered around the city are also equipped with screens, cameras, a tablet, speakers, and a microphone. Almost immediately after its launch, many raised concerns about LinkNYC: noise complaints concerning users listening to loud music, homeless people gathering around the kiosks, outrage regarding users watching pornography, as well as the potential threat to privacy the kiosks present. In this paper, I argue that LinkNYC functions as a neoliberal apparatus of listening and silencing in the public sphere through data collection and restrictions of usage of the kiosk in the name of accessibility. As Google’s first attempt at occupying the public space, LinkNYC reveals the aspirations for the neoliberal city. Through an ethnographic socio-technological study of LinkNYC, I engage sound studies in current discussions about surveillance. I theorize the modalities of listening in the neoliberal city and discuss competing notions of the public space in smart/responsive cities. I investigate the ideological difference between the smart city and the responsive city and trace the movement from a listening entity to a responsive one, analyzing the implications for privacy. I theorize unsilencing and its politics, discussing examples of re-appropriation of the kiosks. I conducted fieldwork by observing interactions with the kiosks and by doing interviews with citizens, homeless advocacy groups, CityBridge employees, and experts. In addition, I analyze the discourses of CityBridge, local politicians, activists, journalists, and citizens surrounding LinkNYC. This paper is at the theoretical intersection of sound studies, urban studies, science and technology studies, and surveillance studies. Through this case study, I open a theorization of the listening practices of surveillance to look at how power circulates through sound.

中文翻译：

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静音机器的噪音：LinkNYC 的案例研究

2016 年初，纽约市和 Google 支持的财团 CityBridge 推出了 LinkNYC，这是一个让居民和游客能够免费访问 Wi-Fi、给手机充电和拨打国内电话的通信网络。分散在城市各处的十英尺高的售货亭还配备了屏幕、摄像头、平板电脑、扬声器和麦克风。几乎在 LinkNYC 推出后不久，许多人就提出了对 LinkNYC 的担忧：关于用户听嘈杂音乐的噪音投诉、无家可归者聚集在信息亭周围、对用户观看色情内容的愤怒，以及信息亭存在的对隐私的潜在威胁。在本文中，我认为，LinkNYC 通过数据收集和以可访问性的名义限制信息亭的使用，在公共领域充当倾听和沉默的新自由主义工具。作为谷歌占领公共空间的第一次尝试，LinkNYC 揭示了对新自由主义城市的渴望。通过对 LinkNYC 的人种学社会技术研究，我在当前有关监视的讨论中进行了合理的研究。我对新自由主义城市中的聆听方式进行了理论化，并讨论了智能/响应式城市中公共空间的竞争概念。我调查了智慧城市和响应式城市之间的意识形态差异，并追踪了从倾听实体到响应实体的转变，分析了对隐私的影响。我将不沉默及其政治理论化，讨论重新占用信息亭的例子。我通过观察与信息亭的互动以及与公民、无家可归者倡导团体、CityBridge 员工和专家进行访谈来进行实地考察。此外，我分析了 CityBridge、当地政客、活动家、记者和市民围绕 LinkNYC 的言论。本文处于声音研究、城市研究、科学技术研究和监测研究的理论交叉点。通过这个案例研究，我开启了一个关于监听监听实践的理论，以了解权力是如何通过声音循环的。LinkNYC 周围的当地政治家、活动家、记者和公民。本文处于声音研究、城市研究、科学技术研究和监测研究的理论交叉点。通过这个案例研究，我开启了一个关于监听监听实践的理论，以了解权力是如何通过声音循环的。LinkNYC 周围的当地政治家、活动家、记者和公民。本文处于声音研究、城市研究、科学技术研究和监测研究的理论交叉点。通过这个案例研究，我开启了一个关于监听监听实践的理论，以了解权力是如何通过声音循环的。