In-brief: Tech visionary Tim O’Reilly says that Silicon Valley’s focused on connected gadgets may be underestimating the real, transformative potential of the Internet of Things.
smart home
Gadgets That Spy On Their Owners
When the recent brouhaha erupted over Samsung SmartTV’s habit of harvesting ambient conversations and transmitting that data to unnamed third parties, we noted that Samsung was hardly alone. In fact, Security Ledger reported on identical behavior by LG television sets back in May, 2014. But, as this article notes, televisions aren’t the only sensor-rich devices that are seeing and hearing what goes on around us. Forget about Samsung or LG getting recordings of you laughing at The Daily Show, or foggy conversations you have about what to watch next. What about Microsoft Xbox Kinect, which includes sound, motion and infrared sensors that can track up to six individuals simultaneously? Also mentioned: Google Waze, Amazon Echo and GM’s OnStar. The question – as always- is about what privacy protections consumers should expect from connected devices. While all the above manufacturers sought “consent” from users in the text of verbose and legalistic Terms […]
Market Consolidation for The Internet of Things Has Begun | Forbes
In-brief: It’s early days, but consolidation among Internet of Things players has already begun, with tech giants cementing their position.
In Smart TV Land, Eavesdropping is Nothing New
In-brief: Samsung isn’t alone in asking customers to consent to the collection and transmission of “voice data.” But questions about the ethics and legality of the practice remain.
FTC Report on Internet of Things Urges Security and Privacy Protections
In-brief: The FTC issued a report on Tuesday that provides guidance to U.S. businesses on protecting consumers’ privacy and security in the design and deployment of “Internet of Things” devices.
