Smart Gadgets Could Severely Compromise Privacy, Says FTC Chair

Smart gadgets of the future could put together a “deeply personal” view of a person’s lifestyle based on the data they gather, the chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission warned on Tuesday.

Edith Ramirez said during her speech at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that the Internet of Things revolution consisting of machines and sensors monitoring our daily lives could pose a real threat to privacy, the BBC reported.

Ramirez cited smart televisions that keep track of viewer preferences as an example to show that data gathered by these devices could be shared with other organizations that could abuse that privilege, and said data must be gathered only for specific purposes.

“I question the notion that we must put sensitive consumer data at risk on the off-chance a company might someday discover a valuable use for the information,” she said.

[BBC]

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