Google now owns Fitbit. Should advertising companies own wearables data?

While I think we should own our own data and have full rights over who uses it and how, I'm not super concerned. This is due to the fact that mounds and mounds of data is already out there warehoused and being used market to us and at the very least build profiles on each of us.

as a longtime fitbit user...yeah im terrified

Of course it's concerning but since most health apps are already running on AWS this sense of "privacy" everyone thinks they have is really just a feeling with a mere sprinkle of reality.

I love the way you phrased this question. "Advertising company" LOL

I just admit to myself and know that whether I opt-out or opt-in, whether it's Google or any other company… my data is shared, will continue to be shared by one way or another (like those massive leaks for example that we see every now and then).

That's a very interesting question! I wonder how it's going to work globally given different privacy requirements in different countries, particularly around storing and processing personal data.

Their track record with sensitive health data is less than stellar: https://www.washingtonpost.com/t... Hopefully this was a wake-up call!

I've been using fitbit for over a year and love how it works. I have been into sports for quite some time and have tried a large number of different trackers, but I liked this one the most. Once I had a similar problem to the one you described but when I contacted customer support at https://fitbit.pissedconsumer.com/customer-service.html they told me how to properly configure the device to fix the problem. I hope that this can also help you, since the device is really good for its money.

When Google acquired Fitbit, some people had concerns about how the data collected from wearable devices could be used for targeted advertising. Wearables often track personal health and activity information, which is sensitive data. We need to prioritize user privacy and trust in the technology we use. Handing over this data to advertising companies could raise questions about how that information is used and shared. It's important to strike a balance between technological innovation and safeguarding personal information, and having advertising companies control wearables data might tip that balance in a way that makes users uncomfortable.