ABSTRACT
The rise in ubiquitous and embedded computing devices have led to the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) that are now used in various applications such as smart homes, smart cities, and precision agriculture, to name a few. While a good deal of research is being done on the design, development, and implementation of IoTs and IoT-enabled systems, few have been directed at the associated ethical issues and privacy concerns of IoT that affect individuals and society. This chapter discusses the impact of IoTs on individuals and society and further explores cases, where IoTs monitoring individuals in various capacities impact their daily lives – e.g., vehicle usage, individual company, finances and business, user preferences for technology, state-of-health and well-being, behavior in the open environment. Discussion on the societal issues of monitoring agricultural production, availability of beds and doctors in hospitals, user buying patterns, etc. are also considered in this chapter. This chapter also discusses the ethical aspects and privacy concerns of individuals and society, when and where IoT usage becomes widespread. Several open research issues to address the ethical and privacy concerns of IoT enablement and their panopticon effects are also discussed, making a call for strong legislative measures on privacy.
