Last week, the Senate broke Congressional silence by passing Resolution 101 – enunciating the chamber’s position on how the country should approach the burgeoning technology of the “Internet of Things,” or what’s more commonly known as the “IoT.” Amidst a series of recent hearings in both the House and the Senate, the IoT industry and others have been keenly eyeing Capitol Hill for hints at whether and to what extent it may regulate the new technology. Although the Resolution did not stake out a definitive position on the question, it seemed to imply that a light-touch – for now – may be the best course of action. The Senate’s Resolution emphasized the many benefits to be realized through the IoT and relegated oft-cited privacy concerns to a quick reference that the U.S. should strive to avoid the technology’s “misuse.” Industry should nonetheless keep its finger on the pulse of IoT legislative and executive developments. The Resolution is, of course, the opinion of only one half of the Legislature, and federal agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission have already been exercising independent authority to enforce consumer protection in the IoT space. Stay tuned.
Image courtesy of Flickr by of d.aniela.