Dispatches from CES 2015 on Privacy Implications of New Technologies

by on January 15, 2015 · 0 comments

Over at the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Privacy Perspectives blog, I have two “Dispatches from CES 2015” up. (#1 & #2) While I was out in Vegas for the big show, I had a chance to speak on a panel entitled, “Privacy and the IoT: Navigating Policy Issues.” (Video can be found here. It’s the second one on the video playlist.) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Edith Ramirez kicked off that session and stressed some of the concerns she and others share about the Internet of Things and wearable technologies in terms of the privacy and security issues they raise.

Before and after our panel discussion, I had a chance to walk the show floor and take a look at the amazing array of new gadgets and services that will soon hitting the market. A huge percentage of the show floor space was dedicated to IoT technologies, and wearable tech in particular. But the show also featured many other amazing technologies that promise to bring consumers a wealth of new benefits in coming years. Of course, many of those technologies will also raise privacy and security concerns, as I noted in my two essays for IAPP. The first of my dispatches focuses primarily on the Internet of Things and wearable technologies that I saw at CES.  In my second dispatch, I discuss the privacy and security implications of the increasing miniaturization of cameras, drone technologies, and various robotic technologies (especially personal care robots).

I open the first column by noting that “as I was walking the floor at this year’s massive CES 2015 tech extravaganza, I couldn’t help but think of the heartburn that privacy professionals and advocates will face in coming years.” And I close the second dispatch by concluding that, “The world of technology is changing rapidly and so, too, must the role of the privacy professional. The technologies on display at this year’s CES 2015 make it clear that a whole new class of concerns are emerging that will require IAPP members to broaden their issue set and find constructive solutions to the many challenges ahead.” Jump over to the Privacy Perspectives blog to read more.

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