Feds Seek Public Input on the Future of IoT

by Patrick Thibodeau, Computerworld

The U.S. Department of Commerce is seeking public comment on the “benefits, challenges, and potential roles for the government in fostering the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT).”

Commerce began accepting comments on April 22, and the comment period will last until May 23. The agency plans to make the responses public, which it says will result in the U.S.’s single largest knowledge dump about the future of technology and where Americans think it should go. The government wants to focus on whether the challenges and opportunities arising from the IoT are similar or different when compared to those governments and societies have previously addressed with existing technologies.

In addition, the government wants to learn about the most significant opportunities created by the IoT, as well as which technological issues may slow the development of the technology.

The government’s goal is to map out its policy role, including research, economic development, standards, and security and privacy. The government will take the public comment data and issue a “green paper,” which is the name for a tentative government report, to be followed by a “white paper,” which serves as an official statement of policy. Article