Bridging the gap between academic ideas and real-world problems PUBLIC INTEREST COMMENT For more information, contact Mercatus Outreach, 703-993-4930, mercatusoutreach@mercatus.gmu.edu Mercatus Center at George Mason University 3434 Washington Blvd., 4th Floor, Arlington, VA 22201 The ideas presented in this document do not represent official positions of the Mercatus Center or George Mason University. THE INTERNET OF THINGS AND CONSUMER PRODUCT HAZARDS ADAM THIERER Senior Research Fellow, Technology Policy Program, Mercatus Center at George Mason University JENNIFER HUDDLESTON SKEES Legal Research Associate, Technology Policy Program, Mercatus Center at George Mason University ANNE HOBSON Program Manager, Academic and Student Programs, Mercatus Center at George Mason University Agency: US Consumer Product Safety Commission Comment Period Opens: March 27, 2018 Comment Period Closes: June 15, 2018 Submitted: June 14, 2018 Docket No. CPSC-2018-0007 We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the request by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for written comments on the potential safety issues and hazards associated with internet-connected consumer products. The internet of things (IoT) is a burgeoning ecosystem. Promoting resilience—that is, the capacity to withstand and learn from cyberattacks—in this ecosystem without hampering innovation is crucial for the ecosystem’s full benefits to be realized. IoT devices enhance productivity and convenience, helping to automate household chores from vacuuming to food preparation. The first recorded consumer IoT device was a Coca-Cola machine programmed in the 1980s by the Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science Department that used an internet connection to inform would-be drinkers about the status of its contents. 1 The added convenience ensured that students and professors didn’t have to cross campus only to find an empty machine or a warm beverage. In the consumer market, the IoT gives users more instant control over devices such as TVs and thermostats. According to McKinsey Global Institute, the economic impact of household IoT applications will amount to $350 billion per year in 2025, cutting the time required for chores by 17 percent. 2 Additionally, the IoT industry will generate millions of job opportunities and trillions of dollars in both economic growth and cost savings. 3 1 Jordan Teicher, “The Little-Known Story of the First IoT Device,” IBM Industries Blog, February 7, 2018, https://www.ibm.com /blogs/industries/little-known-story-first-iot-device/. 2 James Manyika et al., Unlocking the Potential of the Internet of Things (New York: McKinsey Global Institute, June 2015). 3 Adam Thierer and Andrea O’Sullivan, “Projecting the Growth and Economic Impact of the Internet of Things,” Economic Perspectives, Mercatus Center at George Mason University, June 15, 2015.