Before you buy a smartwatch or smart ring, consider what you're giving up. The convenience of having all your health data at your fingertips comes with a price. As ZDNET's editorial team points out, the lack of federal regulations around consumer health data means that you, as the consumer, are responsible for understanding how your data is being handled. This is a critical aspect that many people overlook, especially as the number of smartwatch and smart ring owners continues to grow. Over 20 states have passed comprehensive data privacy laws, but without federal regulation, it's a patchwork of requirements that can be confusing and challenging to navigate. This is a significant issue, as the widespread adoption of wearables raises questions about data privacy, security, and your rights. Who actually owns all of that health data, you or the company collecting it? The more data we collect, the more risk we take on of having our information compromised in a breach, or potentially having companies sell that data to third parties for marketing, insurance profiling, or other purposes that you don't even know you're opting into. This is a serious concern, as people are increasingly finding value in being able to access and use their health data. However, they're not always taking the time to think through where, when, and how they ought to be taking any precautions. This is where the Future of Privacy Forum comes in. The nonprofit organization focuses on consumer data protection and has seen a shift in consumer behavior towards accessing and using health data. The downside is that people are not always taking the time to understand the implications of their data usage. This is a critical issue, as the lack of federal regulation means that it often falls on you as the consumer to determine how to protect yourself and your data. This is a complex and nuanced topic, and it's important to understand the implications of your data usage. The terms of service and privacy policies are designed to align with legal requirements and the company's own approach to processing the data. This is a critical aspect that many people overlook, as it's often buried in legalese and not easily accessible. A 2025 analysis published in the peer-reviewed journal npj Digital Medicine evaluated the privacy policies of 17 leading wearables manufacturers, using a rubric of 24 criteria across transparency, data collection purposes, data minimization, user control and rights, third-party data sharing, data security, and breach notification. Based on that rubric, Google, Apple, and Polar had the lowest risk scores, and Xiaomi, Wyze, and Huawei had the highest risk scores. This highlights the inconsistencies in data governance across the industry and underscores the need for stronger, sector-specific privacy standards. People who care about privacy will often decide which wearable to buy based on how much they trust the manufacturer generally, rather than by examining a privacy policy. This is a critical aspect that many people overlook, as it's often buried in legalese and not easily accessible. The companies most focused on privacy and security will typically provide clear, well-publicized information on how data is handled, such as whether it remains on the device versus in the cloud, whether it is end-to-end encrypted, and whether it is shared with third parties. This is a critical aspect that many people overlook, as it's often buried in legalese and not easily accessible. On the other hand, if you don't see this information out there transparently, then these probably aren't features they are prioritizing, so proceed with caution. Another key consideration: How is this company actually making money? If you're paying a good chunk of money for a watch or a ring and a paid service, they've got a significant incentive to keep you happy. If it's free, you really want to look closely and understand where and how someone's giving you a free service. If they're not a charitable enterprise or a HIPAA-covered medical provider, somewhere monetization is happening, and it's probably your data. This is a critical aspect that many people overlook, as it's often buried in legalese and not easily accessible. In other words, if it's a free service or a very cheap device, your data is probably the product. That might mean it's being sold to third parties or advertisers who you wouldn't necessarily want to know the ins and outs of your health. This is a serious concern, as people are increasingly finding value in being able to analyze their health records. It's now about understanding who you're sharing with, and whether or not you're using a service that is in the business of monetizing your data. To protect yourself, there are a few practical steps you can take: Read the privacy policy (or at the very least ask a chatbot for a summary, or search for the word 'data' to find specifics about where your information is going). Look for those transparent, public-facing messages around privacy and data security from companies when shopping for a wearable. If you have a smartwatch or smart ring you aren't using anymore, delete your data from it. You don't want data sitting there unused in the event that the company is breached down the line. Check what devices your phone and wearables are connected to. Both Apple and Google will show you what services you're connected to, and you should audit that every once in a while. For example, sometimes a piece of exercise equipment at your gym can connect to your smartwatch. You might use the feature, and then forget about it. But your watch could still be sharing information with that treadmill. If you're using an AI chatbot to analyze your health data collected by wearables and you don't want it to train on your data, make sure you've checked your settings and toggled off the option to use your data for training, or that you're using a temporary chat. (It's also best practice not to upload any documents with personally identifiable information -- make sure you redact or anonymize everything first.) Telling people 'don't share sensitive information,' which was pretty good advice a number of years ago, is no longer tenable. People are finding incredible value in being able to analyze their health records. It's now about understanding who you're sharing with, and whether or not you're using a service that is in the business of monetizing your data.
