Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) submitted the following statement today at the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet’s hearing on the Internet of Things.

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to Internet-connected devices and systems from kitchen appliances, to roadways, wristbands and cars. DelBene is the co-chair of the Congressional IoT Caucus, which focuses on educating policymakers about IoT innovations to inform well-crafted public policy:

“When examining the way Internet-connected sensors are being used in what’s called “the Internet of Things,” from home appliances to personal wearables, it might be easy to conclude that the promise of the Internet of Things (IoT) is limited only by American ingenuity.

“But we have an emerging set of challenges and opportunities to address for both innovators and consumers. To start, we need to make sure that we update existing laws to reflect the way the world works today, and where we are headed. That means, for example, updating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to ensure that data on a server is protected by the same warrant standard as a document in a file cabinet.

“For the multi-billion dollar IoT economy to be successful, we need to be responsible stewards of policy going forward. For example, consumers must feel they can trust that their devices will be secure and private, not vulnerable to hacking or spying. Devices must be able to “talk” to each other, and that means forging a path to adoption of uniform, preferably international, standards. Regulatory agencies must find ways to strike the right balance between encouraging innovation and firmly upholding their duty to protect the public health and safety, particularly in the realm of connected cars. And as all of these devices collect unprecedented amounts of data, they hold great promise for things like health research. But we must work with stakeholders to create a privacy landscape that IoT users can understand and that provides individuals control over their data. 

“I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for calling today’s important hearing, and setting the stage for what I hope will be a productive, informative series of hearings on the role that Congress and our committee have to play in creating an environment where IoT innovation can prosper and consumer protection is at the forefront.”

Click here to see video of the hearing.

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