Internet of Things must be imbued with democratic values

Or web-enabled toasters will make citizens paranoid, warns commissioner

Web enabled vending machines possible

Internet-enabled machine-to-machine (M2M) communications will make Europeans feel spied on and harassed unless development of the technology is imbued with democratic values, the European commissioner for the digital agenda Neelie Kroes has warned.

Speaking at the second annual Internet of Things Conference in Brussels, she told delegates: “If citizens experience the internet of things as a system that watches them and harasses them, then it will quickly be seen in negative terms. People should not feel that it has sneaked up on them.”

To prevent this negative view, “it is critically important to make sure that from its infancy the internet of things is grounded in a value system and a policy framework that will ensure it delivers the expected social and economic benefits. For this we need democratic debate and broad societal consensus,” she added.

Proponents of internet-enabled M2M communication say it promises to take a significant amount of grunt work out of daily life. Connecting anything with a chip in it to the internet has the potential to connect all people and all electronic devices to one another globally, creating an ecosystem of applications.

This would give citizens “the information they need to use our natural and human resources more efficiently and to increase productivity so that European life is better and more sustainable,” Kroes said, recognising that such innovations are directly linked to the Digital Agenda which is a key part of the Commission's plans for European economic recovery.

However, while encouraging development we also need to ensure “our European values are guarded,” the Commissioner said.“People will want to retain control over their lives and surroundings.”

Having taken the moral high ground, Kroes went on to spell out practical actions which the audience could take. These included: solidifying a level regulatory playing field and predictable policy environment; entertaining vigorous debate about the ethical issues of M2M, such as privacy, control and governance; and working globally with other governments.

“This is a challenge not just for Europe but for the whole world,” she said.

Kroes added that she hoped the approach would mirror that which the Commission took with concerns over RFID and announced her intention to set up an expert group to monitor development. The group will meet quarterly and comprise not just technical experts, but legal minds and representatives of industry and civil society too.