consumer FTC Internet of Things policy
House Members Urge FTC to Examine Internet-of-Things
In the wake of October's massive distributed denial of service attack, two members of Congress have sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez urging the FTC to protect consumers from insecure Internet of Things devices. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, senior members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, wrote that the FTC should "immediately use all the tools at its disposal to ensure that manufacturers of IoT devices implement strong security measures." EPIC is at the forefront of policy work on the Internet of Things, recommending safeguards for connected cars, "smart homes," 'consumer products, and "always on" devices. EPIC recently urged the federal government to establish legal requirements to promote Privacy Enhancing Technologies, limit user tracking, minimize data collection, and "ensure security in both design and operation of Internet-connected devices."