CPSC Takes A Dip In The IoT Regulatory Pool

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced on March 27 its plan to hold a public hearing on May 16 "to receive information from all interested parties about the potential safety issues and hazards associated with internet-connected consumer products," commonly known as the Internet of Things (IoT).

The significance of this undertaking is noteworthy and welcomed. The CPSC in its announcement clearly recognizes that consumer products connected to the internet are "capable of introducing potential for harm (a hazard) where none existed before the connection was established. The consumer hazards that could conceivably be created by IoT devices include: fire, burn, shock, tripping or falling, laceration, contusion, and chemical exposure." Excluded from CPSC purview, but no less potentially problematic to consumers, are personal data security and privacy issues related to consumer IoT devices. Fortunately, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is exercising