Here is my policy paper:

Abstract

The technological revolution has transformed communication, yet it has also sparked ethical concerns about the access to and use of personal data. Communication service providers, such as mobile apps like Alexa and Ring, are key players in this. They often acquire location data, as well as private household information like commodity preferences and interests, purchase patterns, and mobility patterns. While reward cards, phone games, and other electronic devices also gather personal data, it's the smart home devices that amass crucial data. In the realm of utilitarian ethical theory, the question that looms are whether the communication service providers' access to and use of this information infringes upon any rights, freedoms, values, or societal norms that are undesirable, potentially causing significant harm to individuals' privacy.

Privacy and the Digital Apps of Communication

Invasion of privacy occurs when software in computers and other transmission devices, such as cell phones and some closed-circuit TVs, cleverly accesses personal data for sharing and usage with other devices and people. This is where the utilitarian ethical theory comes into play. According to this theory, people become unhappy when their right to privacy is violated. It posits that activities are right or wrong based on the proportion of the population that is happy, focusing on the outcomes of an activity as right or wrong. When their right to privacy is violated, it's not just a few individuals who are impacted, but nearly everyone, as it is a right that is guaranteed by the Constitution and affects everyone's happiness.

Privacy invasion robs individuals of the ability to control their lives and reputations. A device integrated into smart home environments, the MAS, according to Betts and Mller (341), has programs that integrate various devices into a single system built into a Layered Agent Framework (LAF) to create an intelligent home environment and uses information across the devices without informing the affected parties. This means that the potential for the shared information's source to be exploited by LAF systems and developers stems from the LAF's ability to retrieve data from any device and share it with others. For instance, a smart home system aims to provide features that facilitate data gathering on the proprietary activities and the data producers, including age, usage patterns, payment methods, and other purposes (Betts and Mller 345). This is problematic because the system's operation involves gathering information from multiple locations and is agent-like. Unauthorized individuals are likely to exploit the provided information. Therefore, while innovative technologies can enhance communication within homes, the access and use of personal data across these systems is a pressing concern that significantly impacts people's right to privacy.

Intelligent systems that interact with people can access and manipulate the menu and instructions of communication devices to a dangerous degree. Mobile applications like Rings and Alexa need access to the contact list, gallery, call commands, message system, music apps, and all downloaded apps to ensure that users' ordersare followed. One issue with this intelligent communication system is that the applications have so much power over the phones that a virus may trick them into giving access to the owners' data. Besides, the terms and conditions of use for the majority of mobile apps require the user to provide the apps access to personal data, including location. The requests amount to coerced consent to utilize people's personal information against their will.

People with impairments can benefit from smart home systems despite the infringement of their privacy. According to Gao et al. (769), smart homes can help persons with impairments live more independently by providing a more convenient way to live. The authors contend that through an online platform, brain computing interface (BCI) technology combined with an EEG system has the potential to improve the lives of those who have paralysis, brain stroke, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Through the collection of signals and conversion to useable information and instructions, the portable integrated BCI system based on EEG technology can be a savior and assistance for the elderly and disabled (Gao et al. 773). Four control instructions for a webcam, lamp, intelligent blinds, and guardianship phonewere testedby the author. The results demonstrated that it is a successful communication strategy. Nonetheless, the issue of cross-sectional information utilization in smart home systems arises from the devices' ability to share information among themselves, which may jeopardize privacy. When a disabled person cannot speak, yet their signals convey information about things they would prefer not to be heard aloud, that person has already violated their will to withhold information.

Hackers' ability to access data from Ring's fog apps presents another privacy concern with smart home devices. The app employs real-time data, which raises security concerns because it shows where, when, and what the user performs (Cisco 3 and 5). Ring cameras have swept the digital communication landscape with an unparalleled intensity and rush. Because the usage also necessitates the assistance of the phone and camera systems, it also makes it easier for hackers to get access. As a result, privacy requirements and regulations remain unprotected.The public generally fears that many apps steal personal data for profit (Cisco 3). Unauthorized users steal data, particularly about the goods and services customers buy, and sell it to marketing companies for a profit. Some use the data for identity theft, resulting in financial losses and occasionally leading to legal action. The potential consequences of these privacy violations are significant, including financial harm, loss of personal information, and even threats to national security. As a result, using smart home communication devices looks dangerous, and consumers have little say over how the apps access and utilize their data. Legislators are so concerned about privacy infractions in the smart home system that they are working to enact legislation to address the issue.

The legislation is currently working to regulate the RingDoorbelldata security usage since concerns havebeen raised. In a notable incident, five senatorial Democrats voiced concerns in 2020 about the Amazon doorbells recording individuals who are unaware that their information is being captured. This incident, which was widely reported under the title 'Senators are demanding answers from Amazon about its Ring camera network, saying it could threaten national security ', highlights the potential risks associated with smart home devices. The privacy posed by using home communication devices might become more problematic in the future than it is now. The right to privacyis violated. Instant information about an individual's residence, travels, activities, andwhereabouts may be obtainedwithout that individual's consent. As such, it is advisable to utilize smart home devices with prudence.

The development of technology is beneficial for simplifying human lives. However, the underlying drawbacks, including privacy invasion, are a moral issue that ought to be addressed by regulation. When informationis utilizedfor purposes other than personal advantage, such as commercial gain, and users fail to notify the owners of the data, gathered photographs, and videos that they would want to keep private, ethical problems are raised. These problems include the potential for identity theft, unauthorized surveillance, and the exploitation of personal information for targeted advertising. Accepting technology into a residential neighborhood is the same as accepting outsiders and invaders of people's privacy. However, the bestcourse ofaction to solve the issue is to include prompts to the systems asking homeowners and guests to consent to the other devices using their data.To provide the owners with the authority to know and manage information about them,the information must only be usedfor the agreed-upon purposes. The sale or profit-making from the information is prohibited.

Hackers' ability to access data from Ring's fog apps presents another privacy concern with smart home devices. The app employs real-time data, which raises security concerns because it shows where, when, and what the user performs (Cisco 3 and 5). Ring cameras have swept the digital communication landscape with an unparalleled intensity and rush. Because the usage also necessitates the assistance of the phone and camera systems, it also makes it easier for hackers to get access. As a result, privacy requirements and regulations remain unprotected.The public generally fears that many apps steal personal data for profit (Cisco 3). Unauthorized users steal data, particularly about the goods and services customers buy, and sell it to marketing companies for a profit. Some use the data for identity theft, resulting in financial losses and occasionally leading to legal action. The potential consequences of these privacy violations are significant, including financial harm, loss of personal information, and even threats to national security. As a result, using smart home communication devices looks dangerous, and consumers have little say over how the apps access and utilize their data. Legislators are so concerned about privacy infractions in the smart home system that they are working to enact legislation to address the issue.

The legislation is currently working to regulate the RingDoorbelldata security usage since concerns havebeen raised. In a notable incident, five senatorial Democrats voiced concerns in 2020 about the Amazon doorbells recording individuals who are unaware that their information is being captured. This incident, which was widely reported under the title 'Senators are demanding answers from Amazon about its Ring camera network, saying it could threaten national security ', highlights the potential risks associated with smart home devices. The privacy posed by using home communication devices might become more problematic in the future than it is now. The right to privacyis violated. Instant information about an individual's residence, travels, activities, andwhereabouts may be obtainedwithout that individual's consent. As such, it is advisable to utilize smart home devices with prudence.

The development of technology is beneficial for simplifying human lives. However, the underlying drawbacks, including privacy invasion, are a moral issue that ought to be addressed by regulation. When informationis utilizedfor purposes other than personal advantage, such as commercial gain, and users fail to notify the owners of the data, gathered photographs, and videos that they would want to keep private, ethical problems are raised. These problems include the potential for identity theft, unauthorized surveillance, and the exploitation of personal information for targeted advertising. Accepting technology into a residential neighborhood is the same as accepting outsiders and invaders of people's privacy. However, the bestcourse ofaction to solve the issue is to include prompts to the systems asking homeowners and guests to consent to the other devices using their data.To provide the owners with the authority to know and manage information about them,the information must only be usedfor the agreed-upon purposes. The sale or profit-making from the information is prohibited.

While devices like Rings and Alexa facilitate communication and security monitoring, they also put users at risk of unauthorized access to and exploitation of their personal information. Because of personal encounters with technology, the worries are understandable. However, the device used determines how insecure personal data and information are. For instance, Rings' data might be complex to access from a distance, but mobile devices like Alexa have access to nearly all your data, making them the riskiest of any smart home systems.

Policy Paper Overview

Do presentation that provides an overview of the policy paper and discusses its main points, including an overview of the proposed policy. (PPT)