The wearable technology market is booming, withhalf a billion wearablessold globally in 2020.
But theyre also divisive.
GPS tracking devices designed to be worn by children, meanwhile, are seen as asafety assetfor parents.
Fitness trackers and personal data
One key issue with wearables is the data they generate and share.
For instance, many fitness trackers rely on data on a persons location to map their workouts.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Strava released their global heatmap.
13 trillion GPS points from their users (turning off data sharing is an option).https://t.co/hA6jcxfBQI…
It looks very pretty, but not amazing for Op-Sec.
And its not just the real-time tracking of your running route that could expose your whereabouts.
This safety issue isnt only restricted to workouts.
Even something as innocuous assharing a photo through your Apple watchcan give away your geolocation.
Are trackers safe for children?
Making trackers safer
Trackers and toys can be made safer.
Clearly, monitoring peoples health via wearable trackers has the potential to radically improve access to medical care.
But without safety standards, these devices have the potential to cause more harm than they offset.
Regulators must act fast to stop this growing market from leading to significant harms.
