The Ethical Limits of Blockchain-Enabled Markets for Private IoT Data

Georgy Ishmaev*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)
81 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper looks at the development of blockchain technologies that promise to bring new tools for the management of private data, providing enhanced security and privacy to individuals. Particular interest presents solutions aimed at reorganizing data flows in the Internet of Things (IoT) architectures, enabling the secure and decentralized exchange of data between network participants. However, as this paper argues, the promised benefits are counterbalanced by a significant shift towards the propertization of private data, underlying these proposals. Considering the unique capacity of blockchain technology applications to imitate and even replace traditional institutions, this aspect may present certain challenges, both of technical and ethical character. In order to highlight these challenges and associated concerns, this paper identifies the underlying techno-economic factors and normative assumptions defining the development of these solutions amounting to technologically enabled propertization. It is argued that without careful consideration of a wider impact, such blockchain applications could have effects opposite to the intended ones, thus contributing to the erosion of privacy for IoT users.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)411-432
Number of pages22
JournalPhilosophy and Technology
Volume33
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Keywords

  • Blockchain
  • Data markets
  • IoT
  • Privacy
  • Private data

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