Check out one of the best research papers I have come across on the serious risks to our privacy at home and in our retail environments. In February 2016, the Policy and Research Group of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has published and released and easy to read and understand paper to help their citizens understand how their privacy will be affected by the “Internet of Things”.

We are seeing the next big wave in the Internet revolution juggernaut. Everything from your clothing to your home, will be connected and collecting and sharing data about you and how you interact with your environment and “things”. Basically, the Internet of Things refers to any ‘thing’ and every ‘thing’ being connected to the Internet (and/or to other things and people) and that allows the transfer of information passively and actively. These wireless networked ‘things’ will collect data, monitor activities and customise a user’s experience to whatever their needs or desires.

But Australia’s privacy laws are inadequate and outdated. And law enforcement agencies capacities and capabilities to deal with the volume and complexities of new law enforcement risks posed from the Internet of Things is grossly ill equipped and under resourced.

I encourage everyone to read it and pass it on to friends and family and then to ask what the Australian Government is doing to help us all address the risks we are all going to face.

Download “The Internet of Things – An introduction to privacy issues with a focus on the retail and home environments” (PDF file 814 Kb).