If you use health and fitness trackers, you should be aware of the data privacy risks of using these devices. This article will provide information on how to safeguard your data effectively.
A critical ethical issue surrounding health and fitness tracking wearable digital health technology revolves around the collection and storage of data. These devices, while tracking and monitoring personal health metrics like heart rate, activity levels, and sleep patterns, amass a substantial volume of personal data.
What is Wearable Technology?
Recently, the increasing use of wearable digital health tools reflects a heightened awareness among individuals aiming to oversee their real-time health and fitness. These advanced gadgets, such as fitness trackers and smartwatches, enable users to track their activity levels, heart rate, and even sleep patterns, underscoring a pervasive emphasis on health consciousness leveraging technological advancements.
Wearables, a part of IoT devices, are not restricted to accessories like smartwatches and bands but include a wide range from household appliances to advanced surveillance systems.
The increasing adoption of such devices is evident as 445 million wearables were shipped in 2020, leading to a revenue of $41.94 billion in 2021. Projections suggest a 41.6 billion IoT devices surge by 2025, reflecting an expanding global interest in connectivity.
Despite the manifold advantages like streamlined data monitoring and enhanced health supervision, these devices raise ethical questions concerning the safeguarding of data and privacy. Stressing the criticality of privacy in wearable digital health technology is paramount, given personal health data’s compassionate and confidential nature. Incidents of unauthorized access or misuse of this data have prompted grave ethical privacy concerns.
Versatility in Health and Fitness Tracking Wearable
The diversity in fitness wearables is impressive, ranging from stylish adornments like brilliant rings and bands to sophisticated continuous glucose monitors. For some, like myself, these devices serve purposes related to “bio-hacking” or “DIY biology,” involving closely monitoring various inputs and outputs to enhance sleep, health, and athletic performance. Others use wearables for fitness tracking, music, or essential timekeeping.
How do Fitness Trackers Collect Data?
However, the data scope tracked by these IoT wearables and their subsequent use raises critical questions. Examining Oura’s policies unveils a comprehensive range of data collection:
Sensitive health information collection includes heart rate, body temperature, BMI, reproductive health data, fitness activities, and user-specific details like sleep patterns, caffeine consumption, or late-night baby care.
The collection of identifiable information of users encompasses names, ages, contact details, and demographic information.
Financial data storage, such as credit card numbers, is a part of their procedural system. Usage of GPS to track precise geolocation data during workouts, capturing and storing information, including home addresses and running routes.
Potential data sharing with healthcare providers is dependent on the user’s choice.
Employment of cookies for user engagement tracking and behavioural analysis, aiding in targeted advertising.
The data collected extends beyond mere fitness activities, posing an increased risk in case of a data breach. Despite the awareness of data being gathered, used, and sometimes shared beyond the initial health optimization purpose, users continue using these trackers. They acknowledge the convenience and health insights they offer, even while accepting this tradeoff. Nonetheless, users proactively manage online tracking by turning off cookies and refraining from sharing data with third-party vendors.
Risks Involved in Using Tracking Devices
1- Personal Information Leakage
In today’s business landscape, data functions as a valuable currency. Companies exert relentless efforts to acquire it. When using a wearable device with an installed app on your smartphone, you inadvertently grant easy access to your data by these companies.
Your fitness app holds critical personal details such as your name, address, weight, etc. If not safeguarded by a robust privacy policy, these details can be exploited in various ways.
Once location data is compromised, cybercriminals can track your movements. Your email might become a gateway for spam containing malicious links. Moreover, personal information like your name could be used to create fake accounts to extract data from your contacts. Additionally, health data from fitness apps could be exposed publicly without proper security measures.
2- Inadequate Cyber Security Measures
While data privacy focuses on your command over your information, security pertains to data protection. Unfortunately, many apps lack robust security protocols, leading to unauthorized access.
Hackers leverage various methods, such as open Wi-Fi networks, weak encryption, and outdated apps, to breach and exploit user data.
3- Data Sharing and Misuse
Besides potential hacks, fitness apps often share extensive details about your fitness routine with advertisers. This sharing means that external parties can access sensitive details like your weight, height, and other confidential information you prefer to remain private.
Reviewing and comprehending privacy policies to ensure your app won’t engage in this practice is crucial. Yet, understanding these policies can be complex, necessitating knowledge of interpreting their nuances before agreeing to their terms.
4- Lack of Transparency
There is a lack of transparency for users who do not know whether their data can be used anywhere or secure. To address these concerns, there is a pressing need for enhanced transparency in using fitness trackers. Manufacturers and developers should prioritize clear and concise communication about the data these devices collect, store, and utilise. Users must be adequately informed about the purpose of data collection, its storage mechanisms, and how it will be utilized. Furthermore, accessible explanations in user-friendly language are imperative to ensure informed and voluntary consent.
5- Absence of Legal Framework
A collaborative effort involving developers, regulators, and users is necessary to establish transparent and ethical practices in fitness tracker usage. Industry standards, regulations, and user-friendly transparency initiatives can play a pivotal role in ensuring user trust and ethical health and fitness tracking technology usage.
Fitness trackers collect a broad spectrum of health and activity-related data. However, the scope and nature of this data collection are often not explicitly communicated to users. Many users are unaware of the specific types of information being gathered, the methods used for data storage, or how the data is utilized.
6-User Consent and Understanding
In an age where health and technology are interlinked, the understanding of data collection in fitness trackers is crucial. Enhancing transparency and user education around data collection is not just an ethical obligation but a necessary step to ensure users have complete control and understanding of their health data.
One critical aspect of this issue is the lack of explicit and comprehensive consent from users regarding the data collected. While users might agree to terms and conditions upon setup, the dense jargon and absence of transparent explanations often lead to an uninformed agreement. Users might not fully comprehend the extent of data tracking, its potential uses, or the involved risks.
How to Overcome Privacy Risks
Preparation is vital in the uncertain event of an emergency. Whether utilizing a fitness or running app on your smart device, implementing specific measures can safeguard your experience.
1. Read the Privacy Policy: Before swiftly clicking “I Agree,” reviewing the app’s privacy and security aspects is crucial for your peace of mind.
2. Use Strong Passwords: Your passwords are the initial defence against breaches. Craft robust passwords with a mix of characters, numbers, uppercase letters, and special symbols. Consider using a password manager for managing numerous secure combinations.
3. Check and Adjust Privacy Settings: Review and modify app privacy settings to limit data sharing. Ensure data is shared exclusively with followers, friends, or family as appropriate.
4. Enable Auto-Updates: Keep your app up-to-date by allowing automatic updates. Developers continuously refine apps to address vulnerabilities, making it vital that users ensure their app remains secure.
5. Utilize a VPN: Employ a Virtual Private Network to safeguard fitness app data and online browsing. VPNs encrypt internet traffic, thwarting potential data breaches, especially when connected to public Wi-Fi or unknown networks.
Adhering to these practices fortifies your fitness app’s security and contributes to an overall safer online experience.
Best Practices to Make Fitness Devices Safe
Additional practices can safeguard our devices and protect against potential security threats:
Regular software and firmware updates are crucial to fix vulnerabilities identified by device engineers and prevent exploitation by malicious actors or viruses.
Limiting connectivity by reviewing and turning off unnecessary wireless connections minimizes the risk of unauthorized access and potential manipulation of health-related devices.
It is vital to recognise that wearable fitness technology vendors are not under HIPAA jurisdiction, empowering them to sell user data. Users should carefully review and understand the privacy policies and terms of service to opt out of specific data usage.
Moreover, a cautious approach during purchase is advisable, favouring established brand names known for prioritizing information security. Researching consumer reviews, security measures, and company policies helps comprehend the level of safeguarding for sensitive information.
Conclusion
Wearable digital health technology presents a promising future for healthcare. However, ensuring ethical usage is pivotal, especially concerning privacy and data protection. The potential misuse of personal health data without consent poses significant risks, potentially leading to privacy breaches with extensive societal implications. With the expanding usage of these technologies, prioritizing privacy and ethical considerations becomes indispensable.
Strengthening regulations and promoting self-regulation within the industry are crucial steps to safeguard personal health data and user autonomy. This concerted effort aims to maximize the benefits of wearable digital health technology while upholding a paramount regard for personal privacy and security.
