Health Wearable Devices and Apps Pose Consumer Privacy Risks

Health wearable devices and apps have become increasingly popular over the past few years, as they help users monitor their heart rate, calories, sleep patterns and even stress levels. There’s no doubt that they can have a positive impact on the user’s health, but it seems that they might also pose some privacy concerns. A report entitled Health Wearable Devices in the Big Data Era issued by the Center for Digital Democracy tackles the issue of health wearables and big data systems. Watches and fitness bands are all connected to apps and smartphones, as part of a system focusing on finding efficient ways for people to manage their health. However, consumer personal data might be at risk, seeing how the regulatory system in the US fails to protect user privacy, as the report suggests. It states that “many of these devices are already being integrated into a growing Big Data digital h...