On the World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD), Pakistani users of smart products (mobile phone, TV, wearable devices) share their concerns with the consumers living in other countries relating to lack of security, privacy and meaningful choices as well as a lack of clarity on who is responsible when things go wrong.
According to a survey conducted by The Network for Consumer Protection to commemorate WCRD, a whopping 83% of the university going students elaborated not allowing the telecom service providers to access their personal information. The Network is a member of Consumer International (CI), a UK based umbrella organisation of 200 members from more than 100 countries.
Despite the fact that all telecom providers have clauses to access and share a consumer’s personal information, 84% of the students say that they don’t think by signing the contract with telecom providers, they allow the providers to share it with the third party.
In the survey, 500 students of different universities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi were contacted regarding their concerns related to the use of smartphones. Of the 150 million mobile phone users in Pakistan, 77 % of users are between 21 to 30 years old. It is predicted that by 2025, 72% of internet users will be accessing the internet exclusively via mobile. Around half of these new users will come from China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan.
A 2018 global consumer study of CI revealed that 52% of users are more concerned about their online privacy compared to one year ago. While 43% of respondents from a different survey said, they wanted to know more about the data collected about them via their connected devices and 47% worried about identity theft.
A 2018 global consumer study of CI revealed that 52% of users are more concerned about their online privacy compared to one year ago
A significant data privacy risk arises from devices being able (and indeed designed) to communicate with each other and to transfer data autonomously to third parties. Objects within a connected system may collect data or information that is innocuous on its own but which, when collated and analysed with other information, could reveal quite accurate knowledge of an individual resulting in increased user-traceability and profiling.
A smart product can connect, share and interact with its user and other devices. Smart products connect to the internet via different communication connections. The most popular consumer smart products are smartphones, games consoles, smart TVs, wearable health trackers, thermostats, toys and connected cars. These devices are capable of collecting and analysing user data and transmitting it to other connected devices in a network. Networks of smart products are also known as the Internet of Things (IoT).
Nadeem Iqbal CEO, The Network says that as smart products are part of larger connected systems which can be used by hackers to access larger public systems and infrastructure and putting consumers’ personal information and safety at risk.
Several high-profile privacy and data breaches have heightened Consumers’ lack of trust in smart products. For example, in 2016 nearly 65,000 smart devices were infected in 24 hours, gaining access through insecure printers, home Wi-Fi routers and baby monitors.
Attacks like this are dangerous because the hacker’s software searches for and then attacks any smart system in its chosen radius. This could involve stealing bank details, controlling webcams and microphones, and taking control of any smart device in the house. As smart products become an increasingly common part of daily life, Consumers International wants to shine a light on how security and privacy can be built into the development process.
Last year, the interior ministry informed the Senate that during the first ten months of 2018 as many as 1,244 complaints were received regarding unauthorised transactions made through automated teller machines (ATMs) and Internet Banking Fund Transfers. Pakistan’s smart product market is internationally competitive and keeping pace with global spread.
Published in Daily Times, March 15th 2019.
