The developer advocate seeks standards that promote innovation while maintaining consumer privacy and safety.
Washington D.C., June 16th, 2021 – Yesterday, the Senate Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights held a hearing entitled “Protecting Competition and Innovation in Home Technologies.” The Developers Alliance commends the Senate Judiciary Committee for holding a hearing on the fast-growing home technology space and shining light on the area. The Developers Alliance believes consumers and industry alike greatly benefits from the existence of these cutting edge products.
Developers agree that the home technology space provides many exciting growth and innovation opportunities, and we look forward to ensuring this remains a thriving space for years to come. Connected homes have the ability to create a huge market disruption, presenting opportunities for established non-tech brands, tech brands, and startups to enter, partner, and innovate across borders. These opportunities mean more high-earning, 21st-century jobs and economic growth and connectivity across the country.
Developers acknowledge lawmakers’ concerns regarding consumer privacy rights and believe that smart home devices should be created with privacy by design framework to ensure consumer protection and awareness. Privacy and security in all products should be paramount. These concerns can only be remedied however with a consistent, strong, and enforceable national policy; a federal privacy law is becoming increasingly important as technology becomes ubiquitous in American life. Developers Alliance encourages lawmakers to work with industry and the FTC to set and enforce these standards so that developers within the smart home technology space may create better products and services for all.
Developers remind lawmakers that mergers in the technology industry are often a positive thing for developer-led companies as they routinely create new opportunities, partnerships, and product lines. Developers invest heavily in mastering new platforms and leverage these skills for every product brought to market. Interoperability within the smart home device space is an opportunity to broaden the consumer base and bring more cutting edge smart home products to homes across the globe.
“With a fast-growing space like home technologies, Congress should not pick winners and losers, but rather foster an environment for this sector to flourish,” says Sarah Richard, Head of US Policy. “Developers welcome the opportunities that come from ecosystem competition and the potential for extending existing partnerships and building new ones. We should embrace smart home technology for a more efficient, safe, and convenient way to go about our home lives”
Developers Alliance looks forward to working with lawmakers to ensure that Congress provides the best framework for this industry to evolve.
