[Infowarrior] - Congressional Caucus on the Internet of Things

[Richard Forno]

Just what we need -- another group to pontificate about the tubes, and how best to muck them up.
  --rick


Internet of Things: There’s now a US congressional committee for that

There could be as many as 25 billion things connected to the Internet by 2020.

by David Kravets - Jan 13 2015, 12:42pm EST

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/01/internet-of-things-theres-now-a-us-congressional-committee-for-that/

Lawmakers are often mocked for their lack of knowledge of technology issues and the tech behind them.

Now House members are attempting to tackle the biggest tech cliché of them all: the Internet of Things.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Susan DelBene (D-WA) announced Tuesday the Congressional Caucus on the Internet of Things. It will be a group of lawmakers studying—you guessed it—the Internet of Things in a bid to help educate members "on the development of innovative technology and public policy in the Internet of Things' space," according to an e-mail from Issa's office.

Boiled down, the Internet of Things is more or less connecting everyday devices to the Internet, from cars to refrigerators.

"Technology is revolutionizing the way consumers use cars, homes, workspaces, and everyday items. Emerging uses of Internet connectivity to these devices raise both opportunities and questions about regulatory policy, spectrum space, privacy, and more," Issa said. "It's critical that lawmakers remain educated about the fast paced evolution of the Internet of Things, and have informed policy discussions about the government’s role in access and use of these devices."

Gartner estimates that there will be as many as 25 billion things connected to the Internet by 2020.

Is the Congressional Caucus on the Internet of Things just another attempt by politicos to grab attention by invoking the latest Internet craze? Maybe history has the answer: last year, the Cloud Computing Caucus Advisory Group [PDF] was formed in the House.
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It's better to burn out than fade away.