Personal privacy assistants in the age of the Internet of Things | Lorrie Cranor

TL;DR

Connected sensors provide convenient services, but there is a growing concern that data collected by these sensors may be used against individuals.

Transcript

heart rate sensors motion sensors and many other types of connected sensors enable useful and convenient services that may keep us safer and healthier help us save time and energy and be more productive and efficient but as we've already heard these new sensors are fueled with our data data about our habits our activities our bodies data about when... Read More

Key Insights

• 😨 Connected sensors offer various benefits, from enhancing safety in cars to providing personalized experiences in smart buildings.
• 🎮 Privacy assistants, like those being developed at Carnegie Mellon University, can help individuals maintain control over their personal data.
• 💁 Standard formats for privacy policies and transparency in data collection can empower individuals to make informed choices about their privacy.
• 🪡 Vendors need to adopt privacy standards to ensure that connected sensor products prioritize data privacy.

Questions & Answers

Q: How are connected sensors fuelled with personal data?

Connected sensors collect data about our habits, activities, and bodies, such as when we sleep, where we go, and how fast we get there.

Q: What are some concerns related to data privacy in smart homes?

While we want our smart homes to provide convenient services like reminding us to buy groceries, we don't want them to share our data with health insurance companies or reveal our movements to others.

Q: How does data privacy relate to personal preferences in cafes?

We want to enjoy personalized services in cafes without sacrificing our privacy, such as ordering our favorite drink without sharing personal information with baristas.

Q: How can personal data be used by smart meters?

Smart meters in our houses transmit data that can be used to determine our activities at home, which raises concerns about privacy invasion and data usage.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Connected sensors offer useful and convenient services, keeping us safer, healthier, and more productive.

• There is a concern about the potential misuse of personal data collected by these sensors.

• Personal privacy assistance tools are being developed to help individuals maintain control over their digital privacy.