Privacy is one of the biggest concerns raised around the Internet of Things (IoT). On Monday, in a move to examine consumer privacy vis-a-vis connected cars, smart homes and Big Data, the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the setting up of a new Office of Technology Research and Investigation.
The announcement was made on the official FTC blog. The office evolved from the agency’s mobile technology unit, an entity the commission created a few years ago to address mobile technology’s own unique consumer protection challenges associated with smartphones and other mobile devices, according to Ashkan Soltani, FTC’s chief technologist.
The post read: The FTC keeps its finger on the pulse of markets, channeling its resources to protect consumers from deceptive and unfair practices involving new technologies. A few years ago, we created the Mobile Technology Unit to help bring consumer protection into the mobile era. Staffers assist the Bureau of Consumer Protection and FTC regions with law enforcement investigations and lend their expertise to the development of consumer protection policy. The Kids App Privacy Reports, the Mobile Shopping Report, and the Healthcare App Snapshot presented at the Consumer Generated and Controlled Health Data workshop are just a few examples.
The new Bureau will help ensure that consumers enjoy the benefits of technological progress without being placed at risk of deceptive and unfair practices, the post further said.
Image Credit: FTC
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