The Age Of Consent

Thanks to GDPR, the data privacy paradigm shift comes for the internet of things.

- Kelsey Sutton

Mark Sorsa-Leslie feels fortunate that the internet-connected device he started designing in 2016 was built to comply with stringent privacy requirements set by the U.K.’s National Health Service. Two years later as privacy rules tighten, he says s his Internet of Things (IoT) device is well-positioned to comply with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Whether for consumer use or for commercial or government applications, interest in obtaining and installing connected devices has exploded. By 2019, about 14.2 billion connected devices are expected to be in use around the world, according to the research and insights company Gartner; nearly double that— about 25 billion—are expected to be plugged in by 2021. While some IoT devices have in the past faced scrutiny over lax security protocols, privacy regulations like GDPR or similar rules being drafted in the U.S. mean that the massive and largely unregulated world of IoT is now facing real business consequences if it mishandles personal data.