The National Consumer Service ('SERNAC') released, on 25 February 2022, the results on a study it had conducted on the Internet of Things ('IoT') market in Chile and companies that sell or distribute such devices. In particular, the study was conducted across 74 companies and assessed matters including cybersecurity, privacy policies, artificial intelligence ('AI'), and the types of data used by companies, among others. More specifically, the study found, among other things, that:

• 71% of companies showed a lack of understanding around the security of devices, as they indicated that they are not responsible for vulnerabilities in the face of a data leak;
• 40% of surveyed companies indicate that either none or only a few of their devices are subject to information security and data privacy policies, while 43% do not have policies in place at all;
• with respect to consumer support, most companies felt that the manufacturers of devices were responsible rather than sellers and distributors;
• cybersecurity considerations are rarely made as part of the overall security considerations around IoT devices; and
• some companies made use of AI algorithms, while others were entirely unaware whether manufacturers make use of such algorithms in IoT devices sold or distributed.

You can read the press release and access the study here, both only available in Spanish.