The Nail in the Coffin
As
computers and sensors become smaller and cheaper they will show up in more and
more everyday items. The technology is improving at such a rate that the number
of connected Internet of Things devices is set
to overtake the number of mobile phones in 2018. The Internet of Things has
already encompasses with many popular products like the Amazon
Echo, smart refrigerators, the Nest, and
many more. But as the market continues to expand the amount of information
being collected about consumers is exponentially increasing. In 2015 the FTC
(Federal Trade Commission) wrote “Internet
of Things: Privacy & Security in a Connected World”, a report which
detailed the dangers of the rise of the IoT and discussed the proper way to
maintain and protect national privacy rights. While they stated that it was too
early for IoT specific regulation, the FTC pushed for a set of general data federal
regulations that would protect and inform users from data breaches and
excessive data collection. I absolutely agree that there should be stronger
general data regulations, but I would disagree that it is too early to specifically
regulate the IoT. The issue is that data regulations are only band-aid solutions
and I believe that if left unchecked, soon the IoT will lead to the end of
privacy as we know it.
It
is important to rely on federal regulation for the IoT since corporations have proven
time and time again they are unable to follow consumer-friendly privacy and data
security policies. There are many examples outside the IoT like Google scanning
and selling email content to advertisers or Facebook creating shadow profiles for people who had never even used it. Large tech giants
like Amazon and Google who are constantly intruding in our privacy are the ones
building many of the new IoT products, so why should we give them the benefit
of the doubt? These companies are also under constant pressure from both the government
and malicious hackers, and there are dozens of
successful data breaches of large scale companies every year. As the IoT
continues to grow there will be sensors collecting data about you wherever you
go and throughout your home so it will be extremely important to set up the proper
regulations to prevent abuses and breaches of privacy. But the risks of a
poorly regulated IoT spread farther than privacy. The FTC noted that as more devices
interface with the internet, hacking into things like pacemakers or cars could
have fatal consequences. The data collected by the IoT could also be abused by
the government (like in this
viral video) to monitor citizens in their own homes. In their report, the FTC focused
on data minimization and transparency. The FTC hoped that by educating users about
how their information is being used and regulating what is collected, they can
avoid any drastic loss of privacy from the IoT.
Unfortunately,
I think that saving privacy might be impossible with the rise of the IoT. While
I prize my own privacy, most consumers are extremely apathetic to companies
invading their privacy (except for the occasional outrage over a data leak or
new policy, but those usually quickly dissipate). With the rise of Facebook and
Google millions are giving up their privacy for convenience and better access
to information. The sheer amount of information we share through social media
shows that there has been a quick (a single generation) shift in the public
view of privacy. Things that were once
considered intimate like one’s location, nudes, and embarrassing stories are being
voluntarily uploaded to the internet in massive numbers. And while social media
was the start of the fall of privacy, the IoT will be the last nail in its
coffin. If there is not extremely strict regulation of the data collected by
the IoT there will be few ways to protect one’s own privacy when every inanimate
object could potentially contain a sensor or video camera. It is also important
to remember that in a future with a unregulated or poorly regulated IoT which is
vulnerable to hackers (and the government), someone could gain the ability to
control almost all physical objects and monitor anyone in the world ala the
game Watchdogs.
It will be interesting to see if people will start actively fighting for their privacy
as companies begin collecting more and more information through the IoT or if the
new generation will adapt to living in a world without privacy.
When I click on the "this viral video" link You Tube displays a message that says "this video has been removed by the user." Can you describe it?
ReplyDeleteHere is a working link http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4298698/Woman-asks-Amazon-s-Alexa-s-connected-CIA.html while I suspect that this is just caused by some kind of bug, there is definitely the possibility that government organizations could use smart devices to tap into our conversations.
DeleteI would also like to know what the video is about! More importantly, however, I'm concerned by the idea that companies that make products that you wouldn't expect to be monitoring you will begin to surreptitiously install recording devices in their products. It has happened before with thousands of phone apps, so I don't see why before long every stuffed animal or barbie is going to contain a voice recorder, or even your light bulbs could begin tracking whether or not you are in a room. I believe the Internet of Things is probably going to go too far if it's left unchecked, and there are plenty of items that don't need to collect data but probably will just because of the trend. I will not purchase these sorts of products on my own, but what if I begin renting from a house where the owner has installed a number of smart products. Is the owner required to tell me that the thermostat is listening to everything I say, or that the fridge will identify my grocery shopping routines, and favorite foods? Who has access to that data? There are so many gray areas in the Internet of Things that I agree with Steven when he says we need to have strict regulations on these devices. Moreover, I think people need to have a little less interest in these devices as well, because most of the "smart" products I've seen trade your privacy for more laziness--And at least I believe that my privacy is worth being less lazy.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I fully understand the real impacts of the internet of things. It's easy to say that it doesn't matter if certain harmless information about you is recorded but as we have learned-any information can be sensitive information in the right context. People are so obsessed with technology but sometimes we don't stop to think about the consequences of these advancements.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the FTC should be putting in regulations on the IoT sooner rather than later. I think the examples you brought up about how large corporations like Google and Facebook take advantage of loopholes and lack of oversight for their own ends, which usually means more privacy risks on the part of the individual user. It would be better to set the standard now and work to adjust it as things develop, rather than leave the door open for abuses and only establish regulations once there's already been a problem.
ReplyDeleteAlso I liked the Watchdogs reference.
I think this is a very intriguing issue that goes largely ignored. I agree with you that there is a general apathy regarding data collection and other dangers of the IoT. The FTC's report you posted mentioned that companies need to start looking at preventative measures for privacy rather than thinking of security as an "afterthought." Companies know they can get away with implementing minimal, "afterthought" privacy measures because so many people are unaware of them or indifferent to them. Because of this apathy, it seems that data-collecting devices can go unchecked and surreptitious privacy invasions are rampant. The dangers of the IoT aren't likely to improve until consumers become more aware of privacy concerns and take the initiative to protect their data. However, I don't know exactly what should be done to increase the public's awareness of these issues. Until then, I agree with you that the government needs to come forward with a set of regulations to start protecting privacy.
ReplyDelete