WASHINGTON – When someone actively uses the Internet, it is a consensual relationship of giving data in exchange for services, but what about the passive collection of data on location, health and activities by devices?
Federal Communications Commission’s Commissioner Michael O’Rielly discussed so-called human analytics during a recent panel on Internet regulation.
“In today’s commercial Internet environment, there’s a generally accepted symbiotic relationship where consumers trade data about their activities in exchange to take part in all of a company’s offerings,” O’Rielly said. “More specifically, Internet users monetize this valuable user data by selling it to advertisers for the purpose of effectively placing and targeting ads.”
O’Rielly noted that the exchange of this data allows the Internet to remain largely free.
The proliferation of smart devices such as the Apple Watch and Fitbit that generate passive data on their user 24/7, beyond the constant GPS tracking, which is now common in most phones, has raised some concern about how this data will be monetized or used.
Several companies, including USAA, mandate that employees wear Fitbits as part of its employee wellness program. California company Xora is being taken to court by an employee who was terminated for deleting an app, which was tracking her movements 24 hours per day.
James Reid, SVP of government affairs at the Telecommunications Industry Association, said, “I think we’re seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of devices that will collect data on a whole host of human activities. As we move to smart cities, intelligent transportation systems, health care, all of those things will be questions for policymakers to sort through. … As we look toward the future and we think about what the world is going to look like, more data is going to be collected on more human beings from more data points on more facets of their lives.”
Privacy has been a major concern of consumers over the last several years, spurred by the Edward Snowden privacy revelations and a growing understanding of how much information one produces through simple digital interactions. Litigation is currently pending against Facebook in European courts over its data collection polices.
