“Surveillance is now the business model of the Internet. Companies make money spying on you,

Liz Reid

But critics say there’s a catch.
 
 “Surveillance is now the business model of the Internet. Companies make money spying on you,” says Bruce Schneier, an Internet security expert and the chief technology officer at IBM’s cybersecurity arm. “When the app says I can detect when you’re out of paper towels, they’re not doing it for your best interest. They’re doing it because they want to sell you paper towels.”
 
 Schneier pointed to Roomba, the little automated vacuum from iRobot. The company’s CEO said last month that the device could soon start mapping your home, raising concerns that that data could be sold for a profit. The company swiftly clarified that it would collect and share data only if customers consented.
 
 Despite Its Promise, The Internet Of Things Remains Vulnerable
 ALL TECH CONSIDERED
 Despite Its Promise, The Internet Of Things Remains Vulnerable
 But on top of the issue of surveillance, Schneier says makers of Internet of things devices just aren’t prioritizing security.
 
 “We’re building a world-size robot without even realizing it,” he says.