The Internet of Things: Implications for Consumer Privacy & Security

The consistent use of consumer devices and applications on the internet of things (IoT) will bring economic and social benefits to a vast population. The IoT devices will process a wealth of data about consumers that have not been easily accessible to organizations till now as shown by the various research methods outlined in this paper. However, the collection of mass amounts of personal data and technological complexities are a cause of concern relating to privacy and security. The benefits will therefore only be achieved if devices can be designed with trust of the consumers through well-structured policies from the organizations. This document goes further to point out to consumers the possibility of infringement of their rights and privacy through unexplained policies, terms and conditions. This research is a systematic evidence and assessment of the literature in order to define some proposed solutions on the topic. This research aims to analyze how regulatory action can be used to solve the privacy concerns for IoT devices and how to protect consumers from the impact of big data in the IoT era. It is evident through the research that organizations, consumers, and the government must work together to build standards and policies that provide a prosperous environment for IoT, especially in relation to privacy and security of data.