What is the Internet of Bodies (IoB), and why should you care?

Just like other members of the Internet of Things family, IoB devices operate on four levels:

To classify as the Internet of Bodies product, connected devices must perform one or both of these functions:

Most IoB products come in direct contact with the human body, are physically attached to it, or, as in the case of ingestible and implantable devices, are swallowed or surgically inserted into a patient’s system.

Subsequently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) heavily regulates the development, manufacturing, and use of the Internet of Bodies solutions. Even consumer wearables, which previously were not considered medical devices unless manufacturers labeled them so, now often require FDA clearance. While this might slow down the launch of certain IoB products and features, such as the oximeter functionality introduced in Apple Watch when the pandemic struck, the decision also prevents flawed devices from entering the market and causing damage to people’s health.

For your convenience, we’ve divided the Internet of Bodies solutions into two categories — i.e., consumer-grade and medical devices.

Although the Internet of Bodies can transform nearly every industry, healthcare professionals are the immediate beneficiaries of the IoB revolution.

The advantages of adopting IoB products in medical care span:

In addition to users’ whereabouts, IoB devices can track various body parameters, such as cardiac rhythms, sleep patterns, and menstrual cycles. And it’s not completely clear who can access and use this information.

The biometric data captured by an implantable cardiac device, for example, could serve as evidence in disputable criminal cases, like the infamous Ross Compton lawsuit. In 2016, the police obtained information from Mr. Compton’s cardiac pacing devices when suspicions around whether a critically ill man could escape a fire while neatly packing his belongings into a suitcase had arisen.

Another example comes from Amazon. The company’s questionable treatment of employees during the pandemic hardly comes as a surprise following the introduction of arm motion trackers for warehouse workers. The intrusive technology would potentially allow Amazon to detect idling employees and collect personal information, such as the frequency of their bathroom breaks.

A comprehensive legal framework is necessary to establish crystal-clear guidelines for collecting, analyzing, and using physiological, behavioral, and biometric data produced by IoB devices. Until then, the Internet of Bodies vendors are expected to comply with HIPAA, FTC, FIPPs, FCRA, and GLBA regulations.

Being part of the larger Internet of Things family, IoB devices may contain the very same security vulnerabilities as compromised baby monitors talking in weird voices and hacked CCTV cameras that fall victim to malware attacks and attempt to bring the whole Internet down. These vulnerabilities may spana cumbersome software updates installation process, hard-coded and easy-to-guess passwords, the use of insecure or outdated software and hardware components, and a failure to encrypt data traversing the network, among others. And while it literally won’t kill you if your fitness tracker joins a newly formed botnet, a hacked cardiac implant or insulin pump is a totally different story.

To prevent businesses, cybercriminals, and foreign governments from accessing sensitive data and launching high-profile cyberattacks on the US IT infrastructure, the FDA must devise a comprehensive IoB cybersecurity framework, which could be based on the corresponding framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Additionally, the FDA could impose stricter security requirements on IoT companies from the fitness and wellness segments.

Without proper regulations, individuals who use IoB devices may not fully own biometric data. In addition, when implemented in public settings like schools and hospitals, the Internet of Bodies solutions might inadvertently monitor other people surrounding the user, which violates their privacy. And as more healthcare providers and insurance companies incorporate wearable data into treatment plans and health coverage, individuals with lower incomes and limited access to technology may end up missing out on IoB benefits.

One way to tackle these problems could be to conduct extensive research on IoB risks and benefits and make the information publicly available, thus filtering out the marketing hype. Closer collaboration between policymakers and device manufacturers could also help address data privacy concerns and make IoB products more affordable.

The pandemic sparked the general public’s interest in digital healthcare solutions, and healthcare providers have followed suit. Driven by telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and healthcare analytics solutions, the digital health market is on track to top $220 billion by 2026.

And it’s only a matter of time before the Internet of Bodies goes mainstream too.

On the one hand, we’re witnessing the emergence and at-scale implementation of innovative networking technologies, including satellite Internet, Wi-Fi 6, and 5G. The latter, for instance, could potentially support up to one million devices per square kilometer (up from 4,000 devices per square kilometer for 4G networks.)

On the other hand, we could soon expect greater interoperability between IoT and IoB devices, which will exchange data in a unified format and at a faster speed. Several critical steps, such as the establishment of the global oneM2M initiative, have already been made in this direction.

All of this would create next-gen cyber-physical systems where connected thermostats feed off data collected through sensors embedded into smart apparel, automatically adjust their temperature settings, and notify an endocrinologist if glucose concentration in your sweat goes up.