Legal Considerations of Cyber‐Physical Systems and the Internet of Things

This chapter aims to provide understanding of the legal landscape surrounding cyber‐physical systems (CPSs) and the Internet of Things (IoT), to prepare for developments in privacy law, and to consider and prepare for emerging issues, deployment, and integration of which into society's infrastructures will require the law to adapt. One example consists of privacy‐protection issues within the digital world: although already complicated, they become more so when considering the quantity of data generated by mobile devices. Others include growing social networks, social‐robotic/control communications, person‐to‐vehicle person‐to‐buildings‐technology interactions, vehicle‐to‐vehicle and building‐to‐grid communications. Such complex relations, communications, and associated data flows and stores paint pictures of our lives that governments, commercial businesses, and thieves are “mining” for personal details unintentionally revealed and that informed individuals may not wish to disclose. Current legal frameworks struggle to provide adequate mechanisms to enable individuals to preserve their privacy while reaping the benefits of IoT technologies.