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then list and interact with such devices, via a web browser or more specialized software69. 3.4.4 Open platforms, data and APIs One way to encourage much greater analysis and integration of IoT data is for individuals and organizations to share information under non-proprietary, open-source licences. Data becomes available for new applications without the need for time-consuming data discovery and licence negotiation. One example is Amsterdam’s Open Data programme, which has catalogued 438 datasets about the city70. Partners contributed to and analysed these datasets. For example, a sensor was designed to enable individuals to monitor and share pollution, noise and light intensity data from their own neighbourhoods. Amsterdam is also one of eight cities participating in a CityService Development Kit (CitySDK) project71. This lets programmers write software that can access data and shared IoT services via open APIs, such as services to improve transportation, report problems to the city council, and guide tourists around places of interest72.As part of the Amsterdam initiative, several “Living Labs” have been set up in communities to experiment with smart-city initiatives, identifying successful ideas so they can be implemented across the city. An example is in IJburg, where there are “projects like free Wi-Fi and a new fibre network, personalized television and transportation services, and a co-working space [to] allow residents to experiment and test city projects to improve healthcare, environment, and energy programs in the city.73”Another example of the use of open source approaches is in the Korean government’s IoT master plan. The government will collaborate with the private sector to develop an open IoT platform, and all ministries will be encouraged to collaborate with businesses across the entire country. This will stimulate an open IoT ecosystem, which is intended to improve interoperability, reduce costs through economies of scale and scope, and enable flexible responses to environmental changes. A test-bed for small- and medium-sized enterprises will reduce development costs and time-to-market, and will support collaboration between businesses in different areas. The ecosystem will prompt start-ups to turn ideas into businesses, using tools that include open-source software and hardware (circuit diagrams, board plans, and specifications required for hardware development) and DIY open labs. 3.5 Policy and regulatory implications and best practices The deployment of IoT systems, and their potential impact on individuals and businesses, raises regulatory issues. Some are familiar to telecommunication regulators, such as licensing, spectrum management, standards and competition, while others are more often handled by other regulators, such as data-protection, privacy and security. A 2013 European Commission consultation found diverse views on whether IoT-specific regulation is necessary. Industry respondents argued that state intervention would be unwise in this still-young sector, and that general rules such as the EU’s forthcoming Data Protection Regulation will suffice. Privacy advocacy groups and academics responded that IoT-specific regulation is needed to build public confidence and ensure a competitive market74. Meanwhile, a staff report from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggested that IoT-specific legislation would be “premature.” Instead, it encouraged self-regulatory programs for IoT industry sectors to improve privacy and security practices. It also reiterated the FTC’s previous call for “strong, flexible, and technology-neutral federal legislation” to strengthen its ability to enforce wider data security standards and require consumer notification following a security breach. The FTC also sought broad-based privacy legislation75.This section reviews actions taken by regulatory agencies to enable the development and adoption of IoT systems in a way that maximizes their societal benefit (see Table 3.3). Box 3.3 describes one notable example: India’s programme to develop 100 smart cities and highlights a number of policy and regulatory issues raised by the Telecom regulator, TRAI.Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2016 83 Chapter 3