The FTC report on the 'Internet of Things'

[Commentary] The new Federal Trade Commission staff report on the "Internet of Things" resembles previous commission privacy reports in being almost entirely bereft of new data or analysis. FTC Commissioner Joshua Wright's dissenting statement is the best summary: "the Workshop Report includes a lengthy discussion of industry best practices and recommendations for broad-based privacy legislation without analytical support to establish the likelihood that those practices and recommendations, if adopted, would improve consumer welfare." The FTC is this country's lead agency on privacy matters and privacy-related issues are at the top of its consumer protection agenda. In keeping with its typically high standards, the FTC should base its recommendations on rigorous analysis of benefits and costs, rather than opinions of various advocates.
[Thomas Lenard is President and Senior Fellow at the Technology Policy Institute]