Fitness Tracker Privacy: Is Your Health Data Secure?

Fitness tracker manufacturers are failing to implement sufficient protections for sensitive health data, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). As ownership of wearable health devices—including rings, bands, and watches—increases among Americans, the EFF reports that companies are doing significantly less than they could to shield this personal information from unauthorized access.

Privacy Gaps in Wearable Health Technology

The EFF highlights a growing disconnect between the rapid adoption of health-monitoring hardware and the security measures used to protect the resulting data. Thorin Klosowski, a Senior Security and Privacy Activist at the EFF, notes that the current landscape of fitness trackers leaves users vulnerable to privacy intrusions.

EFF Analysis of Health Data Protection

In a recent edition of the EFFector newsletter, the organization detailed how fitness trackers are “falling down” regarding the protection of health data.

The organization’s concerns extend beyond simple data breaches. The EFF focuses on the intersection of technology, civil liberties, and the law, suggesting that the lack of stringent privacy standards for wearables creates long-term risks for users’ digital privacy rights.

Context of Digital Surveillance and Law

In the same reporting period, the organization noted the rapid growth of police drone programs and a ruling regarding the search of electronic devices at U.S. borders, which the EFF described as disappointing.