If you had asked the general population of the United States what the Internet-of-Things (IoT) was five years ago, I’d be willing to bet that 90 percent of people would not have had any idea what you were talking about. Now, while they might not immediately recognise the Internet-of-Things term or know the exact definition, they would at least be able to tell you about the increased connectivity between different tech and non-tech devices in their lives. As IoT continues to grow, we can only assume that we will all become further integrated into this connected reality to a point where we won’t even realise what it was like without our car telling our smart phone to remind us to get gas on the ride home.
But will that information-sharing overload work for everyone? With Google’s recent purchase of Nest, a company with a small portfolio of smart home devices like thermostats and smoke detectors, many people are wondering if we’re all a little too eager to fork over such personal information with no guarantee of security. While the temperature of your thermostat doesn’t seem like something to keep protected, it’s the potential information-disclosure evolutions that we should be thinking about.
To step back a second, Nest has created a smart thermostat that is capable of learning when you’re home and when you’re not, adjusting temperature settings and energy usage based on those signifiers. Seems pretty harmless, right? It is, until Google collects all of that information and permanently hosts it in the cloud. But it’s just temperature settings you say? While that is true, it’s also information about your habits, like when you tend to be home and when you tend to be out of the house. That information, if procured by the wrong person, can be a blueprint for robberies and other activities, not to mention to mention the fact that it’s just plain personal information.
Situations like the one above are just a precursor to the scenarios that we could have on our hands if smart home applications continue to advance without the proper precautions for safeguarding our information. For instance, our information could always be stolen by hackers, but Google could also potentially sell it for its own financial gain, and our privacy loss.
Take Google Glass for instance. The entire premise of Google Glass is to introduce people to what life would be like if you could easily access all of your important information and live in an “enhanced” reality at all times. Google Glass aims to make daily activities easier, while also introducing society to an always on, connected lifestyle that leaves no question unanswered. At any point, through a seemingly normal pair of glasses, wearers can get directions, read email, and surf the web, among other things, all laid out in front of their eyes while still retaining a semblance of the world around them.
Yet, the introduction of these types of products won’t necessarily scream “IoT.” Instead, as the Internet-of-Things grows, consumers will simply be introduced to new products and new technologies without realising, or caring, about what category they fall into. Eventually, it will be commonplace for you to meet a new person and have them already know your name and basic information (think LinkedIn) through the use of their Google Glass – if everyone has the ability to do this, it won’t seem like an intrusion. Or will it?
While I certainly think that Internet-of-Things is already adding value to our professional and personal lives, there are implications that need to be considered as me move closer to this connected life. For instance, are we selling our souls through the use of connected devices? Each of these devices is collecting data on your preferences and general lifestyle choices; at what point do we question the security of that information? Not to mention, what are the implications of the constant collection of mass amounts of data from every connected person in the world? As seen over time, mass amounts of data can often complicate situations and make the final answer harder to find. There is an entire business intelligence market that thrives off of this challenge.
It’s important, as future citizens of a connected reality, that we take a step back and ask questions about the consequences of being fully-connected, all day every day. The Internet-of-Things certainly isn’t going anywhere and our devices are only going to get more connected, so the real question is: how do we make sure we’re in control before our devices start to control us?
author: Alex Brisbourne
