ARE SMART HOME DEVICE CONSUMERS PROTECTED BY THE U.S. STATES DATA PRIVACY LAWS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS

The Internet of Things (IoT), including smart home devices, is seeping into U.S. households, while there are no data privacy laws governing their use in specific. This study seeks to understand the current state of data privacy laws in five U.S. states by carrying out a content analysis focusing on the legislative intent, consumer rights, business rights, enforcement mechanisms, and smart home device regulation. The findings reveal that all five states have similar data privacy laws, with a few variations: California allows consumers a private right of action against companies, whereas consumers in Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Virginia have no private right of action against companies, and only the Attorney General can initiate the enforcement proceedings. The study contributes to raising awareness of a right-based approach to managing data privacy, where consumers not only have the right to control their data but also to decide who can use their data.