 glimpse into the potential of data collection. The Internet of things generates petabytes of data. Although the sheer scale is mind-numbing, authorities are capable of vacuuming it all up and mining it for meaning.
Every one of those sensors provides insight into daily life. While a particular transmission may seem harmless, in combination with other data points it can produce a disturbing and penetrating picture. Few individuals are worried when their web browsing yields data for companies to market their products, but a sensor that identifies medical purchases and produces a consumer profile that could be used to discriminate against a citizen is another matter altogether.
Again, the record is not encouraging. Individual citizens have not been sufficiently vigilant to protect their privacy against invasion; nor have companies been able to protect the data they have collected. It is a dangerous combination and one that will have more alarming results as the Internet of things worms its way into daily life.