The New IoC: Would You Like A Consent Form With That Shirt?

Waves of smart clothing will be hitting the market in the coming years.  A variation on the Internet of Things, the Internet of Clothes (IoC), will have its own unique issues.

Consumers and retailers will not be used to the privacy and security issues that come with the sensitive information that might be collected regarding the location, use, wear, wash and disposal of clothing.

Will retailers get used to asking for consent, and will consumers be comfortable with linking their clothing so it can be tracked?  We already have some adoption of smart clothes, with people signing up on line to obtain statistics about their run, steps, and even to locate them in case of emergency.  Avery Dennison, a major manufacturer of apparel and footwear care-labels, and Evrythng, an IoT start-up, are betting consumers will "like" their features.