The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has called on the manufacturers of smart devices to prioritise consumers’ privacy with the release of new guidance.
The ICO last year requested views from the public on the smart product market, looking at various internet of things (IoT) devices such as smart speakers, fitness trackers and internet-enabled fridges.
The responses included concerns over the amount of personal information collected by these devices, with respondents saying they felt powerless to control how their personal information is used and shared.
The data regulator has therefore issued guidance to the manufacturers of these products to make customer privacy a greater priority.
The guidance includes how to ask for informed consent for data sharing, how to provide transparent privacy information and what tools need to be available for people to exercise their rights over their data.
“People rightly have a greater expectation of privacy in their own homes so they must be able to trust that smart products are using their personal information responsibly and only in ways they would expect,” said Stephen Almond, executive director for regulatory risk at the ICO.
“This is not just about compliance – it’s about building a fair and transparent online world where people are given meaningful control over how their data is used.
“By clarifying our expectations, we can empower organisations to plan and invest in the use of information responsibly.
“We want to help organisations get it right from the start – but we are closely monitoring compliance and ready to act where we believe corners are being cut or personal information is being collected recklessly.”
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