Those who are into the latest gadgets or fitness programs
and devices will be aware that smartwatches have progressed dramatically over
the past few years from a notification extension of a smartphone to a fully
blown autonomous GPS cell tower and Wi-Fi enabled tracking device, you know
like the ones they put on criminal’s
ankles.
To take it to the next level of surveillance, your heart
rate together with your blood oxygen level and even ECG can be uploaded to a
corporation’s server for governments and other corporations to exploit.
Are you really in control of data you have given away?
A few generations (in computing terms) ago, say in 2016 smartwatch
data could be accessed via Bluetooth where the corresponding app was programmed
in such a manner that no external data collection point was necessary in order
for the app to function together with the watch.
The Android operating system version of the year also did
not require a GPS location to function.
There is ZERO technical reason for a Bluetooth device to have to function together with location services.
The corporations (Apple, Google, Fitbit, Fossil, Garmin, Huawei, LG, Samsung, Withings etc) that mandate this function, are anti your privacy, and support the nanny state agenda.
Today Australian consumers are given very little choice when
it comes to privacy, where retailers only stock smartwatches where the consumer
MUST log into an external entity’s servers in order to be able to operate their
new smartwatch, an action which is either mandated by the watch manufacturer or
the smartphone operating system manufacturers, that being Apple and Google.
This action is extremely privacy invasive, where the data is
easily available for misuse.
Wouldn’t it be hilarious when (as opposed to if) a life insurance company
obtains your ‘fitness’ data generated from your smartwatch, where it indicates
that you are a regular consumer of McDonald’s food like products which
contributed to your weight gain, diabetes or heart disease where as a result
your family will not obtain a payout (when you keel over) despite the fact that
you payed this company handsomely for the privilege.
Will you spend an exorbitant amount of cash for corporations
to have your fitness data?
MANY Aussies have and also shall do in the future.
IGNORANCE is bliss,
right,?
On a plus side for your privacy:
Programmers have created apps that are open source which
connect to some smartwatches and fitness bands where the user does not have to
log into a company’s server in order to obtain data from their own device.
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