Now-a-days there is a growing trend to use interconnected home devices.
As consumers increasingly network their homes, the connected home device manufacturers and service providers will seek to overcome “thin profit margins by gathering more of our personal data-with or without our agreement turning the home into a corporate storefront”. Corporate marketers will have powerful incentives to observe consumer behaviour to understand the buying needs and preferences of the device owners.
Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational, and practical message implied by the passage?
a) Knowledge of consumer behaviour leads to more capital expenditure in manufacturing sector.
b) Knowledge of consumer behaviour stimulates the growth of commerce and trade and thus helps in the overall economic development of the country.
c) Interconnected devices give a lot of comfort to home users and improve the overall quality of life.
d) Interconnected devices can be at security risk and home users may have privacy risk.
Correct answer: d) Interconnected devices can be at security risk and home users may have privacy risk.
Question from UPSC Prelims 2024 CSAT Paper
Explanation:
To answer this question, let’s analyze the key points from the passage and how they relate to the given options:
1. The passage highlights a growing trend of interconnected home devices.
2. It suggests that manufacturers and service providers will gather more personal data to overcome thin profit margins.
3. The passage implies that this data collection may occur with or without consumer agreement.
4. It mentions that homes could become “corporate storefronts” as a result.
5. The passage states that corporate marketers will have strong incentives to observe consumer behavior to understand buying needs and preferences.
Now, let’s evaluate each option:
a) This option is not directly related to the main message of the passage. The passage doesn’t discuss capital expenditure in the manufacturing sector.
b) While this option touches on consumer behavior, it presents a more positive view than what the passage implies. The passage doesn’t discuss overall economic development.
c) This option focuses on the benefits of interconnected devices, but the passage is more concerned with the data collection and privacy implications rather than the comfort these devices provide.
d) This option aligns most closely with the implications of the passage. The text suggests that personal data will be gathered (potentially without agreement), which implies both security and privacy risks for home users.