The authors of the study “The Internet of the Body”, which the US think tank RAND published last week, call for greater regulation of wearables and other technology worn on and in people. These devices complicate an area that is already overloaded with legal, ethical, and moral risks, they write. The US Congress should therefore set requirements around the transparency and protection of the collected sensitive personal information.

Within the broader Internet of Things ( Internet of Things, IoT), according to the analysis, a subgroup of devices is playing an increasingly important role, “which monitor the human body” and transmit the collected data via the network. This “Internet of Bodies” (IoB) consists of devices that combine software, hardware and communication options. The aim is to collect extensive personal health information, to carry out vital medical treatments or to improve the comfort, function or well-being of the body.

“Huge amounts of data are collected” In addition to the fitness trackers and smart watches that are already widely used, the researchers describe numerous other application scenarios. For example, artificial pancreases could automate insulin dosing for diabetics, or brain-computer interfaces could enable amputees to control prostheses with their thoughts. Intelligent diapers are useful for parents, as they “warn them via Bluetooth when their baby needs changing”.

But despite its revolutionary potential, the Internet of the body could “endanger our most intimate personal information “warn the scientists. “Huge amounts of data are being collected, and the regulations governing this data are really opaque,” says study leader Mary Lee, lamenting a legal “wild west” in the area. “It is usually completely unclear who owns the data, how it is used and even to whom it can be sold.”

Search warrant for heart data Lee and her colleagues primarily examined the dangers posed by IoB devices in the fields of data protection, cybersecurity and ethics. They refer to the case of Ross Compton, whose 400. 000 – A fire devastated Buck House in Middletown, Ohio in September 2016. Fortunately, he was able to fill a couple of pockets with various possessions, he later told investigators. Among them was the charger for an external heart pump, which he needed to survive. Just in time he was able to smash a window with a stick and escape.

But when the smoke had cleared, the police became suspicious. The investigators obtained a search warrant to obtain data on Compton’s heart activity before, during and after the fire. After reviewing this information, a cardiologist concluded that it was “highly unlikely” that the fugitive could have escaped the flames so quickly while carrying around so many belongings, including his pacemaker.

Patchwork of regulations IoB devices “can determine the whereabouts, the body functions and what the users see, hear and even think, track, record and save, “the authors note. There is only a patchwork of regulations in the USA. Data brokers could therefore sell metrics to third parties based on the state in which the users live. It would then be open to them to create a profile about the users. Meanwhile, Amazon has already patented a method to measure the productivity of employees using a bracelet.

With implanted medical devices, hackers could manipulate them and physically or even kill the wearer, according to the study . National security is also a concern, as any data collected through the IoB has the potential to reveal sensitive information such as the location of US military personnel.

Privacy from the beginning The RAND experts raise other ethical concerns such as discrimination and threats to personal autonomy from technology. Without insurance, internet access or some level of tech savvy, they say some populations may miss out on the immediate benefits of the IoB in the long run. It is also unclear whether the individual has ownership of his or her personal health data.

The scientists argue in favor of integrating data protection and IT security into the technology from the start, and frequent and simple updates on To make available. Older medical devices that no longer meet today’s cybersecurity standards would have to be scrapped quickly. The US Department of Commerce could also blacklist foreign companies if their IoB devices violate human rights.

(axk)