When Smart Devices Make Friends: Securing the Social Internet of Things

Imagine your smart thermostat striking up a friendship with your car to coordinate your arrival home. This concept, known as the Social Internet of Things (SIoT), allows devices to foster autonomous, context-aware interactions based on social relationships similar to human networks. While this connectivity improves how machines work together, a massive review of the field shows it raises significant hurdles regarding trust management and data protection.

Analysing 225 papers published between 2014 and September 2025, researchers examined the architectural foundations of this technology. The survey reveals that artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) are central to modern defences, featuring in over 80 studies. Blockchain technology also appears prominently—referenced in more than 50 papers—as a tool for establishing decentralised trust. To determine if these social machines are safe, scientists primarily evaluate systems based on latency, accuracy, and scalability. The findings suggest that combining AI with blockchain, alongside cloud and edge computing, offers the most robust path towards a secure, transparent environment for our chatting devices.