Internet of Things and Privacy Concerns

Technology is indispensable, makes things super easy and convenient but there is a dark side to it that needs immediate consideration.

According to a study by the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF), while nine out of 10 global mobile users agree that the internet of things is of value to their lives, 60 percent of consumers are "worried" about privacy and security concerns.

The study from the global mobile trade body was conducted in association with online security company AVG and looked at over 5,000 mobile users in eight markets, including the UK, USA, China, and Brazil, to find out the impact of trust on the burgeoning internet of things market.

Privacy was found to drive the most anxiety around connected devices, with a global average of 62 percent of consumers saying this was a worry. US and France topped the list with 70 and 69 percent of respondents conveying that lack of privacy is their main concern.

Security was also viewed as a threat, with 54 percent of those questioned naming it more than twice as often as real-world problems such as physical safety.

When it came to the application of connected products, home security was the biggest concern with 30 percent respondents registering apprehension, a figure that comes as brands like Samsung, Amazon and Mastercard increasingly talk up the importance of smart homes. Around 24 percent considered health-related information as the most sensitive data.

A recent forecast from Gartner has predicted that 6.4bn connected things will be in use globally by 2016, up 30 percent from 2015. This figure is set to reach 20.8bn by 2020.