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EU watchdog agency warns of privacy issues with smart meters

(Phys.org) -- As utility companies the world over seek ways to wring more use out of the electricity they provide, new technology is introduced to better manage how that electricity is consumed and when. One such example is the idea of a smart grid where smart meters replace conventional meters at home and business sites which are connected to computers at a central site. The idea is that if energy consumption can be monitored in very near real-time, energy companies can better allocate resources and hopefully make the whole system more efficient. Unfortunately, as Giovanni Buttarelli, an assistant supervisor with the independent watchdog group European Data Protection Supervisor, points out in a new report, sometimes good intentions can give way to unexpected side effects and in this case it’s the possibility of smart sensors giving away private information about people as they go about their daily lives....

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Source: PhysOrg - Wednesday, 13 June, 2012


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