Fitbit, CDT Develop Privacy Guidance for User Data, Ethical Internet R&D
Fitbit and the Center for Democracy and Technology released a report providing guidance to help other wearable manufacturers develop privacy practices for user data and ethical internal research and development procedures. CDT Deputy Director-Privacy and Data Michelle De Mooy, the…
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report's co-author, said in a Wednesday news release that the data produced through wearable devices usually fall "outside of existing health privacy laws." While some companies such as Fitbit provide "clear and comprehensive privacy policies" in response to user concerns about data use and sharing, the report said "there is a dearth of guidance ... on appropriate and effective ways to protect consumers' health data." The report said sales of wearables are expected to grow to 172 million units in 2018, from 29 million units in 2014. Among the recommendations, the report says companies should preserve the "dignity" for both employees who offer personal data for experiments and users whose data are used throughout the R&D process. It also said companies should build "a culture of data stewardship" to help implement and sustain "privacy-aware and ethical internal research practices."