Collaborative post
Over the past decade, tech has played an increasingly larger part in our health and fitness. The most common example? Wearables and apps that track calories, count steps, log your workouts, or monitor your heart rate.
In fact, about 345 million people use fitness apps – and more and more people are downloading them every day.
But many of these apps track more than just your steps, calories, or reps. They also collect users’ personal data in a way that most of you reading this might find startling.
The Data You’re Giving Away
When you sign up for a new health app or sync your smartwatch, you might assume that it’s just innocently monitoring your steps, heart rate, or sleeping patterns.
In reality, however, many apps also collect even more sensitive information about you (not to say that your steps, heart rate, or sleeping patterns aren’t sensitive – they most certainly are). Depending on the app, they also gather things like your:
- Demographic details
- GPS data
- Behavioral patterns
- Stress levels
- Menstrual cycle
While one can argue that collecting such information helps the app provide more beneficial features to its users, it can also be sold off to third parties.
And it most often is. Up to 80% of popular fitness apps share your data with third parties, collecting up to 21 types of data about you.
Through cookies and software development kits (SDKs), the companies behind these apps often share (or sell) your information to advertisers, analytics companies, and other third parties.
Supposedly, such data is “anonymized” and can’t be traced back to you. However, studies show that even anonymized datasets can often be reidentified when cross-referenced with other datasets.
How That Data Gets Used
So what if those companies know that about me?
Personalization is the name of the game in the data economy.
When a company knows how you work out, what you eat, or if you’re having trouble sleeping, they can send you ads that seem perfectly relevant to your situation.
On the one hand, that can be convenient. Maybe you’d miss out on a shoe brand’s discount if they didn’t know you had just begun your running journey.
On the flipside, however, it’s a form of surveillance capitalism. Your personal life and privacy are breached and monetized – often without your authentic consent.
We say authentic because while privacy policies and consent-gathering forms are there, crucial details are often buried under dense legalese. Only 1-in-5 Americans, for example, actually read privacy policies. Most people simply scroll through and click “I Agree.”
What Could Go Wrong
However, the downsides aren’t limited to invasive ads. Your data, for example, might influence insurance rates or even job opportunities.
Data brokers can do this by combining fitness metrics with consumer data to infer your lifestyle choices. From there, businesses can make decisions about you.
And unlike a stolen credit card number, which can at least be replaced, your biometric and health history is near impossible to retrieve.
All of this amounts to an invisible (and massive) layer of profiling few users realize they’ve consented to.
Protecting Yourself in a Connected World
So what can you do to protect your privacy? While it’s nearly impossible to avoid all data collection as long as you’re on the internet, there are still many steps that help you control your exposure.
- Review privacy settings
Many apps let you limit data sharing or disable location tracking. Check these permissions regularly, as they can sometimes be reset after app updates.
- Be selective
Do your research and use the least invasive apps possible. Only log data that the app needs to function and only use features you find relevant.
- Read privacy policies
Almost nobody has the time to read pages upon pages of legalese, so at least try to skim for terms like “third-party data sharing” and “data retention.”
- Consider data removal tools
If you want to take the extra step, some tools can help you delete your data from data brokers and minimize your footprint. Check out reviews such as this Incogni vs. Aura comparison to help you decide which tools are best for you.
The Role of Regulation and Corporate Responsibility
Still, the responsibility of dealing with this problem shouldn’t rest on individuals’ shoulders. Fortunately, regulation is catching up. Laws like the EU’s GDPR, Australia’s Privacy Act amendments and California’s CCPA are giving users increasingly more control over their data.
There has also been a push for corporate responsibility. Ethical developers are increasingly developing apps that are transparent and minimize data collection.
Still, as long as ad revenue dominates, many of these apps still operate in gray areas.
Finding Balance Between Health and Privacy
Fitness apps are undeniably useful.
But now that you’re more aware of how they often compromise your privacy, it’s up to you to decide: Will you still use them? Which apps will you use? How will you use them?
Now, you can make more informed decisions that protect both your physical and digital well-being.