In these comments filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Center for Data Innovation argues that there is an enormous potential for the devices that make up the Internet of Things to address many important real-world problems, including how we manage health care, use energy, and protect the environment. Many of these technologies, and their respective benefits, are already being realized, but policy makers have the potential to make or break the Internet of Things. Most importantly, the full potential of the Internet of Things will not be realized unless policy makers embrace a flexible and modern regulatory regime that fosters data-driven innovation. Specifically, policymakers should work to lead by example in the adoption of new technologies, reduce barriers to data sharing, give consumers access to their data, avoid inundating consumers with notices, and regulate the use, rather than the collection, of data.
Daniel Castro
Daniel Castro is president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the world’s top-ranked think tank for science and technology policy, where he leads the organization’s work shaping debates on critical issues at the intersection of technological innovation and public policy. He is a prolific writer and respected public speaker on issues ranging from Internet policy and digital governance to artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Castro also founded and is director of ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation, a leading voice on open data, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation. He has played a key role in advancing the OPEN Government Data Act and has long worked on the policy and economic impact of data-driven innovation. His work on AI spans a broad range of policy issues, including adoption and diffusion, privacy and security, intellectual property, deepfakes and information integrity, and the economic and competitive dynamics of AI, as well as global competition and governance—particularly in China and Europe.
