The Rise of IoT Legislation

Internet of Things (IoT) legislation has been virtually nonexistent over the years. This is all about to change, but there’s no need for panic or for everyone to grab their pitch forks and torches. Legislation for IoT will be limited and aims to help improve the standards and security of IoT devices. This is a good thing, but before discussing impending legislation and the ramifications of said laws, it’s important to understand the history behind them. The relaxed restrictions IoT has enjoyed for several years were carried over from when the U.S. Congress used a hands-off approach with regulating the internet as a whole. However, this laid-back approach has been weakening with companies like Facebook and Google, many of whom have been facing data security issues and congressional hearings over the last few years. This, in tandem with cybersecurity risks from other countries, has raised the stakes as Congress looks to limit the risk to the United States’ infrastructure, economy and security. Consumers are already well-aware of the risks of webcam hijacking and the U.S. Congress is not blind to this issue at a broader level.