Reaction was swift and vociferous last year when note-taking app Evernote announced a revised privacy policy that allowed employees to read users' content in order to test and support new machine-learning and automation capabilities.  Such are the pitfalls encountered by digital developers, web services providers and Internet of Things manufacturers as they strive to stay competitive, cool and cutting-edge.

"All of this technology is wonderful and makes life more pleasurable. But you need to know what you’re doing with it to use it safely.”  Lieberman was alluding to the fact that many IoT devices have little or no security. “I own a smart phone and that's it,” said Bruce Higgins of City Heights. “People buy  these devices and think they are a toy.

The safety risks of the Internet of Things grow by the day, but regulation and self-policing both have shortcomings.  On the morning of September 29, 1982, a twelve-year-old girl in the Chicago suburbs woke up feeling sick. Instead of going to school, she says home and takes a Tylenol early in the morning. She dies shortly after that.

The Online Trust Alliance will merge with the Internet Society in an effort to better fight against privacy and security challenges, like the repeal of the Federal Communications Commissions' broadband privacy rules, GeekWire reports. "By working together, OTA’s vision and mission will be sustained and amplified with the resources, reach and stature of the Internet Society,” said OTA President Craig Spiezle.