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Legal and Ethical Issues
Matthew Flaherty edited this page Sep 27, 2024
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- If the Smartess system fails to prevent or report an issue in a unit, such as a fire or water leak, the company could be held responsible. For the web app, if the system fails to notify owners of critical issues, there may be legal consequences. To avoid this legal issue, the company will include legal clauses to limit the overall liability. If a device malfunctions and causes damage, such as a fire, it may fall on Smartess or the device manufacturer.
- The platform collects data about the unit’s performance which could be sensitive to tenants. A potential legal issue is a data leak or hacking incident which would allow unauthorized control or access to private data or even smart devices within the unit. Smartess must ensure data protection measures to help lower the chances of these risks.
- Although the data collected is not personal, it still involves monitoring the use of smart home devices such as thermostats and AC units. Informing the owner if a tenant is excessively using certain systems could raise ethical concerns, as it might violate upon the tenant’s privacy. However, this monitoring is intended to prevent abuse of energy resources and ensure the security of the owner’s property, so it is necessary.
- The automation of monitoring unit devices may reduce the demand for certain roles like manual energy monitoring and in-person inspections, potentially impacting current jobs in these areas.
- Smartess' system promotes environmentally friendly solutions by optimizing and monitoring home energy use.
- Smartess is a platform for everyone, whether they are tenants, property owners or employees, the company's platform does not exclude or discriminate against any groups.