As we dive deeper into a world of over 50 billion connected devices (Gartner 2015) we as creators are faced with several choices. The challenges and opportunities this vast technological change will bring is unprecedented in history. Some call it the 4th Industrial Revolution for a good reason. In recent years, we have all heard the buzz around the Internet of Things; connecting everyday objects to the network which enables them to collect and share data. Examples from the failure of the Google Glass to the successful launch of the Apple Watch 2 to Amazon Echo and Nest are well known. What does this mean in reality? Let us take two existing examples to illustrate some of the benefits and more importantly the issues brought about by the IoT:
The Snap Spectacles are designed to be fun and capture short form video content on the move to share with your friends and community. This friction-less life sharing device however raises the age old question of privacy and security that shut down the Google Glass. There is an indicator light that signals bystanders that they are being filmed. Privacy seems to be an ongoing concern in nearly every new tech start-up and as we move into an extremely connected age privacy by design could become a key selling point of innovative technologies. An example of this is Apple refusing to create a back door software into the iPhone for the FBI which leaves everyone vulnerable. Apple’s strong privacy and security policies continue to be a key factor in its success.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqkOFLBSJR8&feature=youtu.be
The Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 sometimes coined the ‘flying car of footwear’ becomes alive by shaping itself to your foot and autolacing. With the athlete and design in mind the HyperAdapt is at the beginning stage of a line of similar everyday products that weren’t previously embedded with technology to be embedded with technology even if they are not connect to the internet at first. Needless to say, the HyperAdapt is destined to join the IoT class to change and adapt and become more useful not only for performance but also data oriented results.
These two diverse examples have at least one underlying concern: privacy of big data. Data obtained from connected devices is high in quality, quantity and sensitivity and thus should be regarded as personal data. To be successful companies will need to consider data anonymization, security and encryption (as demonstrated by the recent Nest Thermostat data breach), be transparent about what data is collected and the purpose of collection.
Sources:
The Secret Lab Where Nike Invented the Power-Lacing Shoe of Our Dreams
Don’t trust the Internet of Things: when smart devices leak data
Interesting read Damin.
I think the IoT is a really exciting development and I think it will continue to generate many valuable applications. I agree with you in regards to how much deep personal information we are providing these companies with. Moreover, recent DDoS attacks have been using IoT devices to compose some of the biggest Internet attacks to date (see link). Now imagine these devices getting hacked and if these hackers are able to extract high amounts of very personal information from customers. I really believe that the next big wave of criminality will be undertaken online, and we as customers will most likely pay a hefty price.
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2016/10/source-code-for-iot-botnet-mirai-released/