FTC sees privacy threats in the 'Internet of Things'

By Katy Bachman - Politico, Jan. 28, 2015 – 

As consumers buy up fitness trackers, Internet-connected thermostats and even Web-enabled cars and toothbrushes, the Federal Trade Commission has a message: It's watching.

The agency is warning that as millions of new smart devices make people's daily lives more convenient, they're also collecting reams of personal information that raise new privacy and data security concerns.

The nascent sector - known as the "Internet of Things" and embraced by companies from Google to Intel - is still largely unregulated, and the FTC is hoping a set of recommendations it released Tuesday will goad companies into building consumer data protections into their systems.

"The only way for the Internet of Things to reach its full potential for innovation is with the trust of American consumers," said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. "We believe that by adopting the best practices we've laid out, businesses will be better able to provide consumers the protections they want and allow the benefits of the Internet of Things to be fully realized."

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