Technology and Privacy: What’s Going on at CES 2017

It’s that time of year again – CES! Last week we attended the Consumer Electronics Show, which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. We were there talking privacy and security and checking out all the developing trends. A couple of big themes emerged.

Drones

As we touched on last year, the popularity and accessibility of drones continues to increase, with more consumers than ever purchasing drones for personal use. Some of the most creative drones at the show included pocket drones, underwater drones, drones that follow you around and even some large enough to hold human passengers. Whether capturing photography, videotaping moments from above or just flying for fun, with this influx of drones comes an influx of privacy-related concerns. Many drones are connected devices, and many are running on Wi-Fi – which raises concerns around the security of data being transmitted.

Virtual Reality

Advances in virtual reality continue, improving the quality of VR and the number of platforms on the market. This year’s CES saw a wide variety of VR (and AR) platforms being launched, illustrating the trend towrads these platforms as they continue to evolve. Although VR is still relatively niche, it’s becoming less cost-prohibitive and more popular. Some of this year’s major platforms included the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.

Other Notable Trends

• Smart Homes
• Internet of Things
• Televisions
• Wearables

Implications for Privacy

Along with all the new tech comes some privacy concerns. As more devices appear on the market – and more devices become connected – the opportunity for privacy threats and exploitation increases exponentially. We’ve seen Internet of Things devices used as a botnet to conduct DDoS attacks, we’ve seen unsecured Wi-Fi expose personal information from unsuspecting users and we’ve seen bulk data collected and used in alarming and unprecedented ways. As items that dominate this show continue to proliferate, so do the vulnerabilities and privacy threats associated witht hem. Now more than ever it’s essential for people to be aware of the privacy risks and understand what information their favorite devices are collecting, as well as how that information is being used.

We’re excited about all the upcoming tech and trends, but as always hope consumers will be aware and wary of the privacy risks assocaited with them and take measures to safeguard personal information. All in all we had a blast – We’re looking forward to next year’s show!

Sources: CNN Money, Digital Trends