Health Data on the Go: Navigating Privacy Concerns with Wearable Technologies

AbstractThe escalating adoption of wearable technology for health data monitoring has led to the real-time aggregation of personal information. This phenomenon has fuelled heightened apprehensions about data security and privacy, given the storage, processing, and sharing of personal health data by corporations. Regulatory frameworks have been enacted to safeguard individual privacy rights, as exemplified by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This research paper, by Ms Varda Mone and Ms Fayazullaeva Shakhlo, offers an overview of extant literature on privacy apprehensions concerning wearable devices, conducting an exhaustive review to discern pivotal privacy issues and proffer prospective remedies. Specifically, the paper delineates the ensuing privacy concerns associated with wearables. Predominantly, wearables introduce security vulnerabilities that may facilitate the misappropriation, compromise, or revelation of delicate health data. The copious health information amassed by wearables can be potentially sold or divulged to external parties’ sans user cognisance or consent. Furthermore, the deployment of wearable technology harbours the potential for discriminatory practices against those with disabilities or chronic ailments. Additionally, apprehensions pertaining to privacy and surveillance stem from the capacity of wearable devices to monitor and trace an individual's movements and activities. To conclude, the paper deliberates on plausible measures to address privacy concerns pertaining to wearable devices, encompassing: a) Fortifying the security apparatus of wearable devices, b) Amplifying user autonomy over their health data, and c) Regulating the collection and utilisation of user health data by wearables. The paper asserts that the amelioration of these privacy concerns is indispensable for leveraging wearable technology's potential to enhance human well-being while ensuring the preservation of personal privacy.