An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory (82, 92, 93), the apparatus being connected to a communications network, the apparatus further including computer-executable instructions stored in the memory (82, 92, 93) of the apparatus which, when executed by the processor of the apparatus, cause the apparatus to implement a service layer entity on the communications network and cause the service layer entity to: receive an electronic profile comprising information concerning a service subscriber of a plurality of network devices that may be connected to the communications network, and information concerning each of the plurality of network devices, the information concerning each network device comprising at least an associated identifier of the network device or application hosted on the network device, and an associated data control policy for each of the devices comprising a supported schema for data that the device is allowed to store within one or more data storage resources of the service layer entity; create, in the memory of the service layer entity, one or more service subscriber resources and store within the one or more service subscriber resources the information contained in the electronic profile concerning the service subscriber and concerning each of the plurality of network devices, including the associated identifiers of each of the plurality of network devices, and the associated data control policy of each of the plurality of network devices; receive, from a network device connected to the communications network, an electronic request to register the application or the network device with the service layer entity, the request comprising a first identifier of the requesting device and a supported schema for data that the requesting device is configured to transmit on the communications network; determine, based on the one or more service subscriber resources, that the first identifier of the requesting device matches an associated identifier of one of the plurality of devices in the electronic profile; determine, based on the one or more service subscriber resources, that the supported schema for the data that the requesting device is configured to transmit on the communications network matches the supported schema of the associated data control policy of the device having the matching identifier in the electronic profile; and register, based on the determinations, the requesting application or the network device with the service layer entity. receive an electronic profile comprising information concerning a service subscriber of a plurality of network devices that may be connected to the communications network, and information concerning each of the plurality of network devices, the information concerning each network device comprising at least an associated identifier of the network device or application hosted on the network device, and an associated data control policy for each of the devices comprising a supported schema for data that the device is allowed to store within one or more data storage resources of the service layer entity; create, in the memory of the service layer entity, one or more service subscriber resources and store within the one or more service subscriber resources the information contained in the electronic profile concerning the service subscriber and concerning each of the plurality of network devices, including the associated identifiers of each of the plurality of network devices, and the associated data control policy of each of the plurality of network devices; receive, from a network device connected to the communications network, an electronic request to register the application or the network device with the service layer entity, the request comprising a first identifier of the requesting device and a supported schema for data that the requesting device is configured to transmit on the communications network; determine, based on the one or more service subscriber resources, that the first identifier of the requesting device matches an associated identifier of one of the plurality of devices in the electronic profile; determine, based on the one or more service subscriber resources, that the supported schema for the data that the requesting device is configured to transmit on the communications network matches the supported schema of the associated data control policy of the device having the matching identifier in the electronic profile; and register, based on the determinations, the requesting application or the network device with the service layer entity.