CONNECTED DEVICES
The World Wide Web of Things In order for connected devices to really fulfil the promise of an internet of things , Koopmans explains that the ways in which we access this technology , and the purpose that the IoT serves , will need to evolve . “ A ubiquitous internet – or should it be called the World Wide Web of Things – is one where we as consumers have applications on our smartphone that utilise this vast amount of data that is generated by the ‘ Things ’ out there ,” he says . “ This data is digitally representing my community , my city , the environment I live in . I therefore want to know about it , and that means that a democratisation of this data is needed , and tailored for my personal use , to improve my quality of life .”
However , just as there ’ s a disconnect between the ways in which IoT devices are used now and the applications needed to create the future Koopmans envisions , there ’ s also a fundamental dissonance between the current conversation around data sharing and privacy , and the free flowing information that would form the lifeblood of an IoT connected world . It ’ s a problem that exists for good reason . As data has become an increasingly valuable resource , and the increasingly digitalisation of the economy has come to both produce and use more data , there are fundamental questions regarding individual privacy that need to be resolved before data can be allowed to move freely enough - and in large enough quantities - to support the kind of IoT saturation and functionality Koopmans says we ’ re headed for .
If the truly democratised IoT is to be realised , Koopmans continues , then “ we need to find a way to manage data ownership .” He notes that , while technologies like blockchain have shown promise , they ’ re “ too cumbersome for the IoT ”, meaning that , if
organisations want to “ share and exchange data , we have a long way to go .”
Srinivasan , on the other hand , is more optimistic . “ As we become more connected , it ’ s incredibly important that we empower consumers to remain in control of their data ,” she says . “ The EU ’ s GDPR regulation goes a huge way towards achieving this and if these principles are maintained I believe we will be in a good place .”
Connected Devices and Smarter Societies In many ways , the smart city is the ultimate end goal of IoT implementation .
108 July 2021