There has been discussion about privacy questions raised by the “smart grid,” where utilities would be able to collect granular data about consumers’ energy consumption — down to the daily electricity use by the fridge in your kitchen or the TV in your bedroom. The benefits could include more consumer control over usage, more efficient energy usage, a more reliable energy grid, and faster response by utilities to power outages. But there are questions about this intelligent meter system. Who would have access to this data — law enforcement, advertisers or others? What could they do with this data? What kind of security and privacy controls are there? The data could be highly personal: Do you have an alarm system and when is it activated; when do you usually shower or bathe; if a friend plugs her electric car into your recharging station in your garage, would her data be gathered or transferred?
via Privacy Lives » Blog Archive » Privacy and the Smart Grid.
