Who Owns Your Smartwatch Data?
Welcome to the Dave vs. AI.
Your smartwatch could save your life.
It could also become the surveillance device that quietly rewrites your future.
That’s the trade-off we’re all making — and most people haven’t fully thought it through.
The Health Promise Is Real
Let’s start here: the upside of wearables is undeniable.
We now have access to:
Early detection of heart issues
Sleep optimization that works
Fitness tracking that leads to real improvement
Wearables give us real-time feedback and long-term insights that, in some cases, have legitimately saved lives. I’m not here to dismiss that.
But that’s not the whole story.
Surveillance Creep: Who Owns Your Body Data?
Every heartbeat, every step, every hour of sleep — your watch is collecting it. Constantly.
So here’s the question: Who owns that data?
And even more importantly:
Who can see it?
Who wants access to it?
What are they doing with it?
These are no longer abstract, hypothetical questions.
The systems are being built right now.
And the answer may not be in your control.
Can You Even Opt Out?
This is what really keeps me up at night:
What happens if not wearing a health tracker becomes the disadvantage?
Imagine a future where:
Insurance companies require wearables to give you the best rate
Employers monitor health data before making hiring decisions
Society starts assuming that “healthy” means “trackable”
Think that’s far-fetched?
From an insurer’s perspective, access to your heart rate, stress levels, activity, sleep, and movement patterns is a gold mine. It predicts outcomes. It reduces risk. It helps them price you more “accurately.”
Why wouldn’t they want that?
And if they do, how long until it becomes a requirement?
It’s Not Just About Health Anymore
Let’s go one step further.
If employers are footing the bill for healthcare, how long before they want access too?
Suddenly, your wearable isn’t just tracking your health… it’s tracking your employability.
How much stress are you under?
Are you sleeping enough?
Are you physically “at risk”?
You might never hear these questions out loud — but if the data exists, don’t be surprised if decisions start happening quietly, in the background.
We’re Already In Too Deep
I’m not saying wearables are evil. I used to wear one myself.
(Though ironically, it made me more anxious. Constantly checking, constantly measuring. That’s a different kind of cost.)
But here’s the point: We’re in the middle of a transformation we haven’t truly processed yet.
The health benefits are massive.
But the surveillance infrastructure we’re building around them?
That’s permanent.
Once the data exists, it doesn’t go away. Once companies gain access, that access becomes the baseline.
And the scariest part?
The line keeps moving.
What felt like a violation of privacy five years ago is now just part of our tech stack.
What feels invasive today might be tomorrow’s requirement.
We haven’t drawn the line yet, and we need to.
Because if we wait too long, the decision will be made for us.
Not in a loud, public announcement.
But in policy documents.
In insurance fine print.
In HR back-channels.
In algorithms that never ask permission.
We need to start asking:
Do the health benefits outweigh the privacy risks?
I don’t have the final answer.
But I know one thing:
We should not be strapping these devices on without having the conversation first.
Because the upside may save your life.
But the downside could define it.
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OpenAI is coming out with a device? It's supposed to replace the smartphone. My question: why? Is there even space there?
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