If digital boards are going to be compromised by hackers, this is a danger to the city. Firstly, it causes distractions on the roads and can lead to accidents.

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Secondly, there are children commuting at any given time. They are exposed to foul language and misleading messages. While parents and minders can do so much, children may subconsciously imbibe that such lingo is alright or even ‘cool’ as it is an attention getter both offline and in the world they increasingly inhabit which is virtual. In an age when attention spans get progressively shorter, this ‘instant attention’ is a big lure for the young.

It can also be a huge safety threat. If such a message can be beamed so can fraud messages about bombs, terrors, misguiding people about fires or simply any kind of threat is possible.

We need to secure these digital spaces and we hope the cops catch those responsible for the present chaos. This may be just the beginning for something that can spiral worryingly out of control.