How Internet of Things Devices Affect Your Privacy – Even When They’re Not Yours

June 27, 2025

The Internet of Things (IoT) devices played a crucial role in convicting Alex Murdaugh of murdering his wife and son by providing data from cellphones and a Chevy Suburban that tracked his movements and actions. Unlike deliberate data sharing, IoT devices automatically collect and transmit information without human intervention, creating significant privacy concerns for both users and bystanders. These connected devices gather data in contexts previously considered private, with limited cybersecurity standards and few restrictions on how companies can use or sell this information.

Who is affected

Users of IoT devices such as smart refrigerators, Oura Rings, and connected vehicles
Non-users who are in proximity to IoT devices
People in similar situations to IoT users (like neighbors in a subdivision with smart water meters)
Pedestrians, cyclists, and others captured by vehicle sensor systems
People observed by civilian drones
Individuals whose data might be included in AI training models

What action is being taken

The U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program administered by the FCC is developing voluntary cybersecurity standards for IoT devices
Some states like Washington are implementing laws to protect health data from connected devices
Companies like Nvidia are creating digital environments where people can upload their connected device data to train IoT systems
IoT companies are collecting, analyzing, and sometimes selling data from connected devices
Government agencies are purchasing or accessing IoT records instead of obtaining warrants

Why it matters

IoT devices make previously private contexts "legible" to data collectors
Many IoT devices lack adequate cybersecurity protections compared to regulated contexts like healthcare
Users often have limited control over who sees their data with companies like Amazon removing opt-out options
Data from IoT devices can be combined to reveal detailed information about people's activities
Even people who don't use IoT devices have their privacy compromised by sensors that collect environmental data
AI systems can make inferences about people before they interact with an IoT device
Government agencies can bypass warrant requirements by purchasing IoT data

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article, although the author suggests that protecting privacy may require giving "people and communities observed by connected devices... a direct say in what data the devices collect and how the data is used."

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint