Later this week the eyes of the tech world will be on the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in Las Vegas. With over 3,600 companies set to be hosted across the four days and a number of high profile keynote speeches planned, the event will almost certainly see some of 2016’s most significant technological advancements unveiled.
With all these companies in one place, excitedly pawing over ground-breaking gadgets and technologies, will privacy and security get a look in?
Looking through the shows programme of events there appear to be only a pitiful 23 (out of over 300) which reference privacy or security, despite the fact that Time Magazine listed security of personal data as an important area of discussion amongst delegates, sadly it seems that the delegates will only be given the opportunity to tiptoe around the issue.
With only 7% of the conversation focusing on the security and protection of consumers in this hyper connected landscape it appears that the world’s large technology companies are still seeing privacy and security by design as an inconvenient afterthought, an afterthought which could cost them dearly.
As Internet connected technology is now an integral part of our daily lives. It would be naïve of these companies not to realise that consumers are serious about protecting their online privacy. The rising popularity of ad-blocking software over the past year should be an alert that the public genuinely care. It will be interesting to see if these new smart products give consumers control and choice and if the worries about data hacking, data loss and theft are addressed seriously or skirted over.
CES is the big draw of the technology calendar, the world’s press will be watching and reporting every new innovation, let’s just hope that these products encourage a connected world which is security sound not privacy poor.