User tracking in the Internet of things ï½ a privacy concern?

Among the many concerns we have as individuals in the information society, one of the most pressing to us is our privacy. Once upon a time, protecting your privacy only required a small amount of operational security; shred important documents, don't give strangers your information, and don't lose your wallet. Today, there are aspects to our identity that we can't even control ourselves anymore. The "how" in the "who" online We all know (or should) that your activity can be tracked online using tracking chits called "cookies". Most people know that if they want some privacy, they should disable the cookie functionality in their browser, to prevent websites from collecting user data and other personal information. This is an aspect of our online identities that we can control to some degree. However, many organizations are starting to use powerful information warfare techniques to the world of online activity, removing a lot of the control people had on their identities. One of the most powerful tools one can use involves pattern and traffic analysis. One can discover a great deal about you just by tracking who you talk to and where you go, without having to even listen to what you say when you talk, or what you do when you get there. Pattern analysis is now becoming a major weapon in the online arsenal. Internet of things But what happens when the Internet moves into the real world, and we live in an environment full of connected intelligent devices? This will enable the creation of even more comprehensive pattern analysis, to the point where your actions and activities can be tracked whether you want them to or not. Just like the old Morse-code senders of old, your behavioral "fist" in the Internet of things will betray you to the skilled observer. Just as companies are currently beginning to track people cookie-free online just through their behavior and the "fingerprint" of user settings in their browser, they will track people through the real world by their interactions with the devices and systems around them. It will probably get to a point where your actions to mask your activity will actually highlight you to the system as a depression in the data patterns. The good side This is not necessarily a bad thing, if individual information is protected while the system is allowed to use the macro market and usage data to optimize infrastructure operational efficiencies by leveraging the information to better control power, lighting, traffic, and signal management (among the many facets of societal infrastructure that could be improved through Big Data) to significantly reduce waste and increase operating efficiencies. PSD