Whether it is Smart Cities, Connected Cars, eHealth devices, wearable trackers or clever devices around the home, the IoT is essentially comprised of sensors that collect data that is useful for consumers, businesses and public sector policy-making. Sometimes that data is completely anonymous, but sometimes it can provide real insights into an individual’s behaviour, health or relationships.
In order to harness the benefits of IoT, individuals need to be able to understand how and when data is collected, know who might have access to it and trust that data about them will be kept safe and will not be misused.
The privacy team at GSMA works with governments, regulators and the wider mobile industry to promote transparency and choice and to encourage responsible privacy governance practices with initiatives such as GSMA Privacy Principles.
GSMA members can access confidential information related to this topic here.
Data Protection & Privacy – GSMA Industry Position
Tuesday 27 January, 2015 |
To realise the opportunities that the IoT offers, it is important that consumers trust the companies who are delivering IoT services and collecting data about them. The GSMA and its members believe that consumer confidence and trust can only be fully achieved when users feel ...
Protecting Privacy and Data in the Internet of Things
Thursday 7 March, 2019 |
The rapid growth of the Internet of Things creates substantial opportunities for users to benefit from services which are based on data acquisition and storage, analytics and machine learning. It is clear that a responsible approach must be taken by service designers to ...
Assessing regulatory requirements of privacy management for members offering IoT services using personal data
Monday 26 November, 2018 |
The document aim is to documenting and assessing regulatory requirements for GSMA members offering IoT services utilizing personal data. It looks into the privacy regulatory requirements in some key jurisdictions likely to influence other regulatory regimes around the world: ...
The Proposed European ePrivacy Regulation: Use cases for enabling privacy-protective innovative products and services
Wednesday 9 May, 2018 |
The GSMA and ETNO urge policymakers to consider the impact of the ePrivacy Regulation (ePR) on both existing and future products and services that are critical to Europe’s digital growth, including the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G. This document highlights use cases ...
Safety, Privacy and Security across the mobile ecosystem
Wednesday 19 July, 2017 |
This report explains the major issues around Safety, Privacy and Security across the mobile ecosystem, including highlighting where there are opportunities to do more. Cross-Border data flows are covered on page 36-37. View Now
Mobile Policy Handbook – Consumer Protection Section
Wednesday 19 July, 2017 |
GSMA is committed to working with stakeholders to ensure that restrictions to cross data transfer are minimised, while safe-guarding personal data and privacy of individuals. This is covered within GSMA’s Mobile Policy Handbook, which is updated yearly. To see the position, ...
An introduction to IoT Privacy – Building trust in the IoT
Thursday 8 September, 2016 |
This presentation provides an introduction to key considerations on Mobile and IoT privacy, and introduces key privacy challenges in the Consumer IoT space. Download
IoT ‘Privacy By Design’ decision tree
Friday 8 May, 2015 |
This powerpoint presentation details GSMA’s IoT Privacy by Design Decision Tree: six areas of core privacy principles that all companies dealing with consumers’ data should consider before launching a service or product. Download
Italian Privacy authority
Monday 23 March, 2015 |
Public consultation on IoT and data privacy (in Italian). Download
IoT Data Protection and Privacy
Friday 27 February, 2015 |
To realise the opportunities that the IoT offers, it is important that consumers trust the companies who are delivering IoT services and collecting data about them. The GSMA and its members believe that consumer confidence and trust can only be fully achieved when users feel ...
Mobile Privacy: Consumer research insights and considerations for policymakers
Thursday 27 February, 2014 |
The growth in mobile broadband connections has been fuelled by higher speed networks and more advanced technologies. Additionally, the proliferation of new apps and services are allowing people to connect with each other, devices and other ‘smart’ objects (such as cars, home ...
Joint statement of the Healthcare coalition on Data Protection
Monday 7 January, 2013 |
This document is a Joint Statement of the Healthcare Coalition on Data Protection detailing the benefits of data processing in healthcare and medical sciences while protecting patients’ personal data. Download
Privacy Design Guidelines for Mobile Application Development
Wednesday 29 February, 2012 |
These guidelines adopt a Privacy by Design approach and are intended to help ensure that mobile applications are developed in ways that respect and protect the privacy of users and their personal information. Download
GSMA Mobile Privacy Principles
Saturday 22 January, 2011 |
In January 2011, the GSMA published a set of universal Mobile Privacy Principles that describe the way in which mobile consumers’ privacy should be respected and protected when consumers use mobile applications and services that access, collect and use personal information. ...