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Search Warrants for IoT Data Spur Legal, Privacy Complications

By Ricci Dipshan
February 01, 2017

A case surrounding a mysterious death in a Benton County, AR, has far-reaching implications for the ownership and privacy of data generated from Internet-connected devices, aka, the Internet of Things (IoT).

County officials in Benton County have argued that IoT information is pertinent to their ongoing investigation into the death of Victor Collins, who was found deceased in the hot tub of a home belonging to James A. Bates on Nov. 22, 2015. The IoT data in question stems from Bates' Amazon Echo — a “smart speaker” that allows users to order products and access Amazon services through voice commands.

According to files from the Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts, county law enforcement officials served Amazon with two search warrants requesting data accrued by the Amazon Echo, such as audio recordings and transcriptions of the night in question. See, http://bit.ly/2jb05OX. Amazon refused to fully comply with the warrant, framing the issue as one over the privacy of customer information.

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