Privacy under threat – The intersection of IoT and mass surveillance

The rapid development of information and communication technologies, blockchain technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the Internet of Things (IoT) devices has brought numerous advantages to modern society. Alongside increased comfort of life and efficiency in all areas of human activity, the automation enabled by interconnected networks also poses a challenge to citizens’ right to privacy. The goal of this research is to identify weaknesses in this use of modern technologies, specifically in how they negatively impact the citizens’ right to privacy, by analyzing the relationship between mass surveillance practices and IoT devices. The research established that the implementation of mass surveillance measures using IoT technology can lead to violations of ethical standards, security protocols, and the right to privacy. It has been shown that there are issues with applying existing regulations to IoT and mass surveillance and that no universal legal framework currently exists to protect the right to privacy. The use of IoT technology, especially given the rapid development of artificial intelligence, will in the future raise numerous dilemmas regarding the entities responsible for collecting personal data, the consents required for data usage and processing, where the collected personal data will be used, and for what purposes. Therefore, it is necessary to adapt privacy laws to modern technological advancements such as IoT and AI. This study utilized methods of induction, deduction, and content analysis.