Internet of Things Workshop Report: Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Joshua D. Wright

摘要

I dissent from the Commission's decision to authorize the publication of staff's report on its Internet of Things workshop ("Workshop Report") because the Workshop Report includes a lengthy discussion of industry best practices and recommendations for broad-based privacy legislation without analytical support to establish the likelihood that those practices and recommendations, if adopted, would improve consumer welfare. This approach differs from the normal approach to a workshop report, which is to synthesize the record developed during the proceedings, and not to make broad policy recommendations. An economically sound and evidence-based approach to consumer protection, privacy, and regulation of the Internet of Things would require the Commission to possess and present evidence that its policy recommendations are more likely to foster competition and innovation than to stifle it.