IoT users uncertain if personal data is shared across multiple devices
Most people (64%) say they don’t depend on their connected devices to accomplish daily activities, nearly twice as many as the 36% who indicate they depend on their devices to get through their daily lives.
A new survey by Clutch finds that 67% people who own a connected device own a smart home appliance such as a smart fridge, oven, or TV. About one-third (35%) own a wearable device, and 27% own a digital assistant such as a Google Home or Amazon Echo.
Most use connected devices to access important information
Sixty-four percent (64%) of people use their connected devices daily; typically to access important personal information regarding health, home, and news.
Nearly 40% of those surveyed say access to important information is the primary benefit of using a connected device.
Users uncertain if personal data is shared across multiple devices
People who give their connected device access to personal information such as health data, they allow third parties to use this data.
Concerns about data security and privacy are compounded by the uncertainty people have about how their data is shared across devices.
Forty percent (40%) of people say their data is shared across multiple connected devices, but 29% say they don’t know if their data is shared across devices.
People don’t connect their IoT devices to each other
Only 9% of people use their connected devices in a networked capacity: to access the same applications from multiple connected devices.
One reason people don’t connect multiple IoT or “smart” devices to the same applications is because some smart devices aren’t compatible with each other, a challenge that is particularly evident with smart home appliances.
“The market for embedded devices like smart home automation systems is kind of a zoo at the moment,” said Pavel Shylenok, CTO of R-Style Lab, a development company based in San Francisco. “Entry threshold is difficult for the average user. You can’t just buy a smart switch, install it and start using it.”
The lack of compatibility creates a barrier to entry for average users who don’t have the skills, patience, or budget to create an individual network of devices.
This barrier gives people pause when considering whether to invest in a connected device in the future. More than half of people (53%) surveyed say they do not plan to invest in a connected device in the next year.