Are you listening Alexa? Yes! And so are
Siri, Google Home, and all our other smart home and smartphone devices. What’s
more, they are listening consistently and cleverly, gathering vast amounts of
data, too. Properly used, according to keynote speaker Kemal Huseinovic, Chief
of the Digital Networks & Society Department, ITU, this data could enhance
quality of life, but it could be misused too. Is data collected used to improve
services, or for other purposes? he asked. It is also a question of how the
data is collected and whether its usage is in line with the key principles of
privacy. Countries are equipping themselves with laws on privacy, he noted, but
awareness needs to be increased on a global level, an approach ITU is
advocating in its daily work.
Key concerns
The panel gave insights into the challenges
around security and privacy, awareness, impact of new technologies on data generation
and the idea of data as an asset.
People love connected devices, said Serge
Abiteboul, Executive Board Member, ARCEP, and are happy to use them freely,
with or without awareness of what’s actually being done with their data. The
first issue should be protecting private data. Market forces also come into
play here, as manufacturers are under so much pressure to get devices to market
that their focus may be on the functionality of the device rather than its
security.
For Grenoble
École de Management’s Nathalie Devillier,
it is also about awareness; users may not be aware of just how much data is
collected on them. Alluding back to smart speakers, such as Alexa, she noted
that we may be so eager to get started that we neglect to wade through 10 pages
of privacy information. Security is a major concern for her, and corporations
should be addressing it “Data is a corporate asset,” she explained, “so why
shouldn’t data security be considered as a competitive advantage?”
For Brett Jordan, Director Cyber Security,
Office of the CTO, Symantec Corporation, we should be more concerned with the
tremendous amount of data that can be collected now, and that will be generated
in the future as IoT is becoming more widespread. Privacy terms of use, he
explained, are seldom updated, however, to reflect increases in data.
ErnieApp CEO, CSO and Founder Isabella De Michelis,
finds data an asset, and as such it is government who has a responsibility to
say how it will manage the asset of its nation.
For Lina María Duque, Legal Counsel and
Dispute Resolution Coordinator, CTC, the industry needs to “self-regulate”
more. It should be more aware of only gathering the data it really needs to
gather in order to improve devices.
Awareness and education
As consumers it is hard to appreciate just
how much of our data is collected and used and what we should do about it. And
because consumers don’t understand the problem, said Jordan, the industry
doesn’t want to talk about it – they may want to just “keep the consumer space
unaware” Or maybe users understand the risk, added moderator, Miklós Danka,
Product Manager and Developer, Palantir Technologies, but are in such haste to
get started with an app that they just wade through the privacy information
without paying sufficient attention to it.
Incentivising users and companies to
confront and address privacy issues is one way to deal with the issue,
according to Danka. The industry is making products that are more secure. But
governments need to make more regulations to protect the user. And the users
themselves must also play their part. Greater education for users is needed,
explaining what they are doing and why, and users need time to think. Essential
privacy and transparency information needs to be simplified, said De Michelis,
possibly including a gamification element to encourage users to engage with
processes. Companies need to be mindful of the differences between their users;
there is a big difference between IoT for enterprise and IoT for consumers.
Companies may bombard users with
information and interfaces which are difficult to navigate, explained De
Michelis. Government and regulation is needed to make sure companies provide
users with accessible, easy to use interfaces, providing users with clear opt
in/opt out options. We buy products globally, added Duque, so privacy
regulation, too, needs to be global to match.
Inferred data
Inferred data is data that can be inferred
from, for example your shopping habits, music taste or even online searches.
This kind of data could be used to predict behaviour and outcome – and if
needed, tailor advertisements to match. On the upside, it could, for example,
help a health tracker app predict heart attack; but on the downside, it might
tell Facebook your relationship is going to breakdown. Can this help us or not?
asked Danka
For De Michelis, it’s a simple question of
rights. At present, although laws may say you can choose the purpose for which
your data is collected, this may not work in practice where the end purpose is
not always clear, particularly when a company such as Google owns so many overlapping
products. Users may not realise all are ultimately owned by Google and that
data given to one product, such as Waze, also connects with Google maps and
more. Harmonizing interfaces on how consent is given, and for what purpose,
would clarify this for users, she explained. Users need to be clear that their
data is being collected for transparent purposes, said Devillier, which is not
the case now.
Decisions, decisions
The proliferation of online advertisements
thrust in front of consumers based on their geographic location, music, food or
any other preferences they exhibit could mean decisions are effectively removed
from user’s hands. No need to choose a restaurant or music for example, when it
can be done for you. Is this positive, does it help us make better decisions,
asked Danka? Panelists felt that it depended on the context; in the home for
example, freedom of choice is important; users need to be in control of the
decisions they make. Elsewhere however, input into the decision may be helpful
– in selecting medicine for example – although good AI is needed so users can
make good quality, beneficial decisions.
