A case surrounding a mysterious death in a Benton County, Arkansas has far-reaching implications for the ownership and privacy of data generated from internet-connected devices, aka the Internet of Things (IoT).
County officials in Benton County have argued that IoT information is pertinent to their ongoing investigation into the death of Victor Collins, who was found deceased in the hot tub of a home belonging to James A. Bates on November 22, 2015. The IoT data in question stems from Bates’ Amazon Echo—a “smart speaker” that allows users to order products and access Amazon services through voice commands.
