Article Image

IPFS News Link • Privacy Rights

Privacy Concerns Grow As IoT Devices Light Up

• https://www.technocracy.news By Chris Teale

The safety and security of internet of things (IoT) devices remains a vexing issue for lawmakers, while a survey from the Internet Society shows there is still some way to go before reaching widespread public acceptance of IoT connectivity.

The survey, conducted in six countries by polling firm IPSOS Mori, found that 65% of those surveyed are concerned with how connected devices collect data, while 55% do not trust those devices to protect their privacy. Meanwhile, 63% of those surveyed said they find IoT devices, which are projected to number in the tens of billions worldwide, to be "creepy."

Those concerns were at the forefront of a hearing last week on IoT security by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation's Subcommittee on Security, where lawmakers and witnesses debated how to make the devices safer and more transparent for consumers, and what the role of the federal government should be in legislating that. It's a dilemma for policymakers and industry leaders who must wrestle with these questions.