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Are your smart devices tracking too much?
Your smartwatch is great for tracking steps, but have you ever thought about where all that personal data actually goes?
From sleep patterns to calorie intake, it’s like a digital diary — and it’s worth billions to insurance companies, marketing outfits, advertisers and, of course, hackers. Don’t panic! I’ll walk you through how to lock down your privacy.
What’s being collected?
- Fitness metrics like steps taken, calories burned, heart rate and your workout intensity.
- Health info, including sleep quality, blood oxygen levels, reproductive health details and stress indicators.
- Behavioral patterns such as how you move, how often you check your device and where you go most frequently.
- Location data, including GPS tracking during runs and walks, along with routine daily movements.
These data points might not seem like a big deal by themselves, but together, they create a detailed snapshot of your life.
That’s worth big money
While companies often claim the information they collect is “anonymized,” it doesn’t take much to connect the dots and figure out who you are. For example, you’re using an app that promises it doesn’t track you, but your phone has a unique ID and it’s also tied to your IP address. Got ya!
That can lead to discrimination, with employers, insurance companies or others using data you don’t know they have to make biased decisions. There’s also the potential for breaches to expose sensitive health data to hackers who could use it for blackmail or fraud.
And let’s not forget manipulation. Imagine your fitness tracker notices a slight weight gain, and suddenly, you’re being bombarded with ads for weight-loss products. It’s not just invasive; it’s downright predatory.
How to protect yourself
If you use apps and devices to monitor your health, there’s a lot you can do to protect yourself.
Be selective: Stick with apps that have a strong privacy track record and are crystal clear about not collecting personal info or usage data. Even better? Apps that store your data on your device instead of the cloud.
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