Integrating Social and Technical Solutions to Address Privacy in Smart Homes

Abstract

Smart homes are becoming increasingly common across the United States with the advent and ongoing development of new and improved IoT devices. With the increasing use of these devices, there has been exponential growth in the amount of data collected on individuals. This poses potential privacy risks that can affect the lives of these users and raises an ethical question about what information is being collected and how it is used. Much of the data collected is used to discern information about when, why, and how the device was used. It must be questioned how much information collection is necessary and at what point does it become a violation of privacy. Additionally, many devices collect data at various times when the user may not be aware of it. This information collected can be used to target specific advertisements, influence users, or be sold to third-party sources. Although much of this information is laid out in lengthy, often deceptive terms and conditions for most devices, many people do not read them or understand the implications they pose. In this paper, we present a solution that monitors data leaving the house through a device integrated within the home network with the aim of spreading awareness surrounding the potential risks associated with this issue and to work towards limiting the amount of information that is collected.