Profiling and Targeting Consumers in the Internet of Things – A New Challenge for Consumer Law
Having a legal debate with a smart door sounds very much like a vision from a hopefully very hypothetical future – like the one the science fiction author Philip K. Dick described in his novel. And yet, today, almost 50 years after Dick has first published Ubik, this future does not sound that hypothetical or even far away anymore. This chapter will argue that there is a role for consumer law to make sure that we do not have to have conversations like these with our doors, toasters or other smart appliances in the Internet of Things (IoT). One of the promises of IoT is that everyday appliances, like doors, toasters and fridges will become smart, have some computer-implemented intelligence of their own and are able to communicate. The Internet of Things, sometimes also referred to as the Internet of Objects is ‘about attaching varying amounts of identity, interaction and inference to objects’. ‘Smart things’ or devices are equipped with the ability to collect and process data and interact with other smart things, users but also traders and third parties (such as insurance companies, governments or advertisers). Smart devices are able to take on new functionalities, run applications and provide a platform for (tailored) services and (commercial) communications. Examples are the by now almost proverbial smart fridge that can connect to the local supermarket; smart watches and other fitness devices that monitor users' vital body functions; bottles that notice when they have been opened; smart meters that measure and adjust energy consumption; or smart doors that set the conditions for access, as in the quote above
Chapter, 2015
Digital Revolution, 2015, 133
2015