The internet of things and dual layers of ethical concern

The internet of things (IoT), where objects can communicate with each other in a way that affects the physical world, will likely have a great impact on people and society at large. Like a massively distributed set of robots, its effects will be felt on both physical and information realms. After describing key elements of the IoT, this chapter summarizes major ethical concerns. For the physical layer, the primary ethical concerns center on safety, while the informational layer’s primary concerns are about controlling information. Given the two layers’ distinct ethical concerns, we face a problem of moral pluralism-which of these layers should take priority? Recognizing this pluralism, the chapter argues that designers, policymakers, and users not only must not pay attention to both layers, but may also have to prioritize one layer over the other.