Internet of thing (IoT) smart home systems: Conceptual ethical framework for Malaysian developers

Abstract

Internet of things (IoT) is an emerging technology that connects ‘Things’ to the ‘Internet’ just as implied by its name. The things include our smartphones, smart furniture and electrical appliances. Smart homes are considered the most significant aspect in the field of IoT allowing users to set preferences on their needs, as for example to keep the house in an optimal state and in the case of sick elderly residents resided in the house, to keep track of the medical history according to urine test or blood pressure. Despite these conveniences provided by IoT-based smart home system, the ethical aspect such as data protection and privacy of individuals are violated and thus security issues may arise. Therefore, a conceptual framework has been proposed for consideration in Malaysian context. The purpose of the conceptual framework is as point of reference for IoT developer in the development of smart home system which later can be extended to smart cities development.