SIIA on Friday encouraged the FTC to be careful in its analysis of the “Internet of Things”—the growing supply of data inputs, sensors and interfaces that are embedded in our vehicles, household appliances, and beyond. SIIA agrees with the FTC that privacy and security are critical to unleashing the full potential of the growing supply of data inputs from the new sensors and interfaces that are becoming part of our everyday lives. However, in our comments to the Commission, we asked that the FTC proceed cautiously if formulating any new policies, as these are likely to steer the future of DDI and the scope of what is possible for American innovation for decades to come.
Software and apps are now rapidly evolving as new services are offered seamlessly across our devices and appliances. As we recently identified in our white paper on “Data Driven Innovation,” the new Internet-enabled IT ecosystem has unleashed tremendous opportunities for economic growth and social innovation.
First and foremost, SIIA urged the Commission to promote technology neutral policies and avoid technology mandates. For example, given the range of devices that lead to the collection and utilization of data, it is impractical and ineffective to create policies based solely on a specific type of device, or an arbitrary characteristic of a device, like whether it is mobile like a smartphone or automobile sensor, or whether it is stationary, such as a computer or a refrigerator. While it might seem practical to target specific devices or platforms, this approach is likely to become dated within a matter of months or years due to the rapid evolution of IT.
With respect to privacy, SIIA urged the FTC to support a policy framework that provides for an evolving view of privacy rights based on risk and societal benefits, re-assess long standing principles such as data minimization and encourage de-identification without creating broad mandates to that end. Read the full comments here.
David LeDuc is Senior Director, Public Policy at SIIA. He focuses on e-commerce, privacy, cyber security, cloud computing, open standards, e-government and information policy. Follow the SIIA public policy team on Twitter at @SIIAPubPolicy.