Mind matters: Shaping the future of privacy in the age of neurotechnology

Technology has reached the next level, breaching the final frontier of privacy: our innermost thoughts and feelings.

We will soon live in a world where technology can access the mind. In the near future, this technology could be a part of mainstream consumer products. In the distant future, it might not be optional.

Businesses developing neurotechnologies are at a pivotal moment and must decide how to design their products with mental privacy concerns in mind, to bring about the best possible outcome for themselves, consumers and society.

Neurotechnology: Access to the mind

Today, there are devices in development — or already available in some cases — that can be implanted in the brain or worn externally to detect electrical activity and other brain signals, essentially reading the mind. Aided by artificial intelligence, these devices can detect whether you're paying attention, whether you like what you're seeing, your political leanings and even whether you've seen something before.

Brain signals can reveal a great deal about a person: their truthfulness, personal feelings, political leanings, propensity to spend money and risk tolerance.

But it doesn't stop there. These devices not only read the mind — they can "write" to it. They can stimulate the brain to cause a reaction.