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What are the open questions of the Internet of Things (IoT) and how they will affect the future growth of the sector? Is the industry or regulators that have to find a response to that?
Here is another blog post from my friend and colleague Marc Lee on his view of the Internet of Things, I hope you will enjoy it.
Its Home Time. Your phone beeps and informs you that there is an accident on your normal route and provides you an alternative route. It reminds you to stop at convenience store to buy bread and milk. The location depicted on your new route home. The route is displayed on your car system as you pull out of work, information on distance, duration of travel and traffic conditions all displayed for your convenience.
As you leave work, your phone sends a text to your other half so that they know you are on your way and what time you should be home (including the stop at the convenience store). As you pull up in the driveway, the garage door opens. Soft music is piped into the hallway as you walk in with the lights set at a predetermined level. The TV is on at your favourite channel and the coffee is bubbling away, ready for you. Far fetched. Definitely not.
The technology exists today to do this, but at what costs is this convenience?
What data is being stored on your habits. What music you like, what coffee you drink, which store do you frequent, what do you purchase and how frequent? How safe is this data and how is this data being mined by large corporations to push you specific ads?
A while back there was the problem with vulnerabilities in IP cameras, where a few bucks would allow anyone access to thousands of unprotected IP cameras. It can be said that the buyers did not change the default password on the device, but is it really their fault? or should the supplier ensure that this occurs ? No easy solution.
This applies directly to the IoT. Who owns the data, What is being done with this data? What happens if the supplier is hacked? Do they on-sell this data? Is this in the suppliers Terms and Conditions? Who reads the Terms and Conditions? Should there be Terms and Conditions? What responsibility should sit with the supplier?
I am all for convenience, I am all for a better quality of life. But what do we give up for this? Is it worth it? Should there be laws on the supplier, who governs this? Food for thought while I drink my coffee and watch my favourite show.
