In the News
The state of Illinois is taking steps to increase consumer privacy. In Illinois Senate passes defanged bill on IoT devices’ surreptitious eavesdropping, Sean Gallagher at ArsTechnica discusses the new ‘Keep Internet Devices Safe Act’ passed by the state of Illinois on April 10th. Gallagher explains that this bill will make it illegal for tech companies to obtain consumer audio from smart devices without their explicit consent. However, Gallagher states that consumer legal action against such instances was removed from the original bill proposition due to lobbying on behalf of tech giants.
Our Take
In the wake of increased privacy regulation in the Europe Union, it seems only natural that privacy initiatives would take hold in the United States federally or at least on the state level. Illinois is just one of many states taking independent steps to protect their constituents from the dangerous of data misuse. The issue of consent regarding tech companies obtaining consumer audio and data is at the center of the privacy debate given how common it is for households to have one or more smart speaker. Creating a legal precedent for requiring tech companies to comply with appropriate data use decreases the privacy concerns of smart speaker use. The influence that tech giants have on legislature and limiting the scope of bills may be cause for dismay for many. However, the passing of this bill despite such efforts prove the desire of the public to emphasize privacy. We will see if additional bills and initiatives not just in Illinois, but across the country arise in the coming months and years.
Recommendations
How can you protect your privacy while using smart technologies?
- Use safe password practices, and take advantage of Multi-factor Authentication where possible
- Utilize additional security/privacy measures and settings on apps, accounts, and platforms whenever possible
- Refrain from sharing highly sensitive information through messaging apps and smart devices/services
- Understand the legal rights and practices of companies that store your data