Smart Device Data Of US Consumers No Longer Safe From US Government?

Privacy is a very important issue for a lot of Americans, especially when it comes to their smart devices that are collecting private information. Thanks to recent developments, however, it would seem that the government will have a much easier time getting ahold of private information via smart devices. Amazon handing over its Alexa data for a murder case is one example that the police and other agencies can base on.

Now, there are a lot of good reasons for the US legal system to get involved when it comes to using smart devices, as the recent sex toy spying incident clearly demonstrates. However, there have been several incidents that, though were justifiable in their respective context, clearly indicates that private data collected by things like smartphones, smart home assistants, or even fitness wearables are no longer safe.

In one case pointed out by Phys.org, a man in Ohio is now being charged with insurance fraud and arson after his pacemaker betrayed his actual conditions that contradicted his previous statement. Before the discovery, the man claimed that his house caught fire and he had to leave out the window to escape.

In another case, a Pennsylvania woman’s rape case was dismissed after it was found that her Fitbit placed her in a different location entirely, contrary to her claims. These incidents have set a precedent under which police officers and the US government’s various alphabet agencies can stake their claim on private data.

With the advent of the Internet of Things revolution where absolutely everything just has to be connected, the concept of privacy might as well be considered dead. In the hands of capable digital forensics teams, a person’s entire life can be broken down by which device recorded which activity at any given time.

This isn’t just about numbers or texts anymore, either. Audio and even video files can be obtained as well, as the most recent CIA spying scandal indicates.