THE increasing use of devices which hook up to the internet could result in new privacy issues, experts have warned.
Professor William Webster, director of the Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance and Privacy (CRISP) at the University of Stirling, said much of the current focus on privacy issues was around the digital 'footprints' created through information being posted by users on the internet.
But he added: "What is more interesting is there are a whole range of devices which are being hooked up to the internet and which are also being used on a regular basis which could be seen to have privacy implications."
An outcry was triggered earlier this month when Samsung issued a warning about discussing personal information in front of their smart TVs.
It emerged the voice activation feature, when activated, triggers TV sets to "listen" to what is said, which could then be shared with Samsung or other third parties.
The revelation promoted critics to compare it to the feature to the telescreens featured in George Orwell's novel 1984, which were used to monitor the behaviour of citizens.
Webster, who will take part in an event on Thursday at Strathclyde University in Glasgow looking at surveillance in society, organised by the Scottish Public Law Group, predicted issues could also arise with energy smart meters which are now being installed in millions of homes.
He said: "The very positive idea is that it gives consumers more control over their energy consumption - so at home you can see what devices are using the most energy and when they are using it - and you can adjust your behaviour to try and minimise your energy consumption.
"These devices are going to become more sophisticated, so you are going to be able to work out how much energy is being used per room in your house.
"Information on smart meters is sent over the internet to the service providers, so they are gathering large amounts of information about your energy consumption, beyond just how much gas or electricity you are using."
UK energy firms and ministers have insisted consumers' privacy will be protected with the introduction of smart meters.
But Webster raised concerns about how the meters could be used in the future with energy supplies predicted to become increasingly scarce.
"These smart meters could in turn be used to control the access to energy by households," he said.
"For example one solution to avoid blackouts might be to regulate when people have showers in the morning - there could be a half-hour window for each household when you can have a shower."
He added: "What you often find with new technologies is the idea of a kind of surveillance creep.
"This is a bit like a privacy creep - a technology introduced for one purpose which seems to have very obvious and clear benefits, which also has a different element to it which may be an ulterior use in a different scenario.
"It was meant to be us controlling our energy consumption, but it could be someone else controlling what we have access to."
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