the internet of things, the Federal Trade Commission sees the possibility of flourishing new markets. But it also sees a prologue to Black Mirror: in a new report that probes the privacy implications of connected devices, the commission surveys a landscape of possible dystopian futures. Get ready for invasive marketing, unending consumer surveillance, invisible nudging, and new potential for government spying and novel forms of hacking. The report seeks to identify the dangers to consumers presented by the internet of things. How might information gleaned from a car GPS, fitness tracker or smart refrigerator lead to negative effects on your creditworthiness, employability, or insurance premiums? As a prelude to the development of best practices, and perhaps new legislation, the FTC aims to establish industry standards for data gathering and use.

“The evolution of the Internet of Things and the increasing connected nature of all devices stands poised to reshape the security industry, according to new research from Memoori. The game changer in the physical security industry is still IP driven, not just across video but now into access control and intruder alarms. The industry is fast moving to an all IP business, which has vastly improved and extended the value propositions for end users.

Security companies that have grasped this opportunity and can demonstrate how improved ROI can be achieved through making businesses and institutions operate more efficiently are growing fast and profitably. IoT is now at the top of the hype curve and it will take at least five years before it reaches the slope of enlightenment, according to Gartner. When it does, analog systems will suffer a rapid decline.”