Profiling and Targeting Consumers in the Internet of Things A New Challenge for Consumer Law

Abstract

What does the shift from buying ‘things’ to buying ‘smart things’ implies for consumers and consumer protection law and policy? The paper will focus in particular on the aspect of profiling and targeting in the Internet of Things. Profiling and targeting is a topic that is more commonly associated with data protection law and privacy. This chapter will demonstrate that consumer law, too, will have to play an important role in protecting the legitimate interests of consumers, and guaranteeing a fair balance between consumers, providers of smart things and services, advertisers, insurance companies and other parties.