Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Edith Ramirez spoke on Tuesday about security and privacy concerns on Internet of Things (IoT) devices, utilizing the smart home.

Ramirez claims that due to the connected disadvantages of IoT, one product that doesn't take security or privacy seriously could end up losing vast amounts of private user data. In a session at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015, Ramirez claimed companies need to do more to protect user's privacy and data, as we move into a more connected world.

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It's not the first time the FTC has spoke out against the growing collection of personal user information, but with the growth of IoT at CES 2015, it is more apparent that if one device splits up, it could mean a lot of users have their private information stolen.

Things like HomeKit and Works With Nest both offer a platform for smart home devices to connect and share with, even though this may seem harmless right now, as more health and personal information gets added it may become less exciting to have all information available to a variety of different companies.

The FTC does not have any power to enact new laws or regulation against IoT devices it does not agree with, but the commission could push new laws into Congress, to force technology companies to do more to protect private information.

Analyst predictions for IoT growth are huge, already 200 million connected devices are available in the world, but Ericcson, Cisco and other companies claim growth will be massive in the next five years.

This will be in part due to the standardization of platforms supporting smart home and connected devices, and the growth in developing countries.

TagsEdith Ramirez, FTC, Security, Privacy