Photo via Shutterstock
Photo via Shutterstock

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, nearly everywhere you turned people were talking about the Internet of Things or IoT.

Now, the idea behind these connected devices — everything from smart cars to smart washing machines — is making its way to D.C.

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA)  today announced the formation of the Congressional Caucus on the Internet of Things (IoT).

“As someone with a long career in the technology industry and as an entrepreneur, I know firsthand how quickly technologies have developed to become critical to our daily lives,” said DelBene in a press release. “Policymakers will need to be engaged and educated on how we can best protect consumers while also enabling these new technologies to thrive. It’s important that our laws keep up with technology and I look forward to co-chairing the IoT caucus.”

Suzan DelBene. Photo via Wikipedia
Suzan DelBene. Wikipedia photo

DelBene is a former Microsoft executive who also previously worked at Drugstore.com and Nimble Technology.

The number of connected devices is accelerating, with Gartner recently predicting that there will be 25 billion connected devices on the planet by 2020. (That’s enough for three per person).

DelBene and Issa say that the the IoT Caucus will focus on educating members on the development of innovative technology and public policy in the Internet of Things space. That includes opportunities and challenges in health, transportation, home and the workplace.

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