Page 54 - Cyber Warnings

Wearables and Domestic Spying
By Jerry Mooney

One of the most popular gifts this last Christmas was the Fitbit. This device and the similar
competitors are found more and more on the wrists of health conscious individuals. Although
the idea of increasing our accountability to our activity level has merit, it provides a whole new
world of data accumulation and digital monitoring. The question then becomes, how do we
balance privacy versus health?

Advocates for more data point out that health informatics provide patients with better health
services. Fitbits are simply the newest form of how we can collect data about our health. And
their applications are more far-reaching than a bedridden patient in a hospital room. When
wearing the Fitbit, a person’s steps are obviously recorded, no surprise. Also, though, their heart
rate, distance traveled, when they took the steps and even when the person was awake or
asleep. No big deal, right? Santa Claus has known most of this stuff forever. This data is then
synced to a device, which stores the data. Then the information can be used to see trends and
tendencies.

One heart breaking example is this Tweet that went viral. This poor guy not only got his heart
broken, but his Fitbit recorded the exact moment it happened.

54 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – February 2016 Edition
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