Being able to pay parking meters with your phone is a great idea that can give people a more convenient way to get around in the city. The Pittsburgh Parking Authority is in the process of creating a mobile application (app) so people can experience this self-service feature.

The app, “Parkmobile,” could cut down the hassle of managing parking meter time in a busy city.There are times when people need to add more time to their meters and do not feel like standing outside – maybe even in the cold and the rain – while typing in personal information, such as their license plate number.

People often leave important meetings, difficult classes and other events to avoid getting parking tickets and to avoid the possibility of their vehicles being towed.

This parking meter app is a great idea, but the lack of privacy could cause an issue, especially since Parkmobile’s privacy policy appears to be suspicious from almost every angle.

Why is it that a parking meter app needs the home address, email address, date of birth, gender and even nationality of a potential user? This application may be asking for too much information from its customers. That alone could worry users to the point in which they would rather stick to plugging in their information on a public parking meter.

We should not forget that information breaches occurred in a handful of cities that use similar parking apps, according to a March 23 Pittsburgh Post Gazette article about the privacy issues of Parkmobile.

If this app opens up possibilities of having my debit card or credit card information compromised by fraudsters, that definitely makes me think twice about using it or installing it on my smartphone. The convenience of a mobile app should not be worth sacrificing the private information of potential customers. Interested individuals should not be placed under that kind of pressure. It is just an app, people, it is not worth your sanity.

Even though Parkmobile wants to know everything about its customers, 35 cents for each transaction is a pretty reasonable rate, and it is affordable if you pay attention to the meter on the application. For some, parking has become more important than privacy.

Parkmobile can increase the convenience of parking in the Pittsburgh area, but it could also increase some issues. Ultimately, we have to face the facts and accept that parking has now become a business that operates in the digital realm.