Consumer Reports warned that personal exercise equipment companies like Peloton and NordicTrack are collecting sensitive data.
During the pandemic, many people ditched gym memberships and invested in personal exercise equipment, contributing to the growth of companies like Peloton and Nordic Track.
But Consumer Reports warns that these and similar companies are collecting sensitive data.
recent consumer watchdogs conducted an investigation A study of 10 fitness companies, including Peloton and NordicTrack, found that in addition to users’ basic data such as height and age, the companies may also be collecting information about their pregnancy status and diet. got it.
In the case of BowFlex, Consumer Reports found that the company’s privacy agreement allows it to collect and share olfactory data, or users’ scents. But Consumer Reports says it’s unclear whether that’s happening. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
“The concern is that medical information will be treated like other information, such as shopping habits,” said Stephen Blair, security testing program leader at Consumer Reports. “Policies are written in a very broad way.”
Blair said that while users’ information is commonly used for targeted advertising, it’s not always clear who their information will be shared with or how secure a company’s servers are. said.
“To be fair, some brands we surveyed say they comply with privacy laws, but that’s the absolute minimum, right? Is that what’s being forced on them? “, Prime Minister Blair said.
He recommended checking the app’s privacy settings to make sure the information isn’t shared publicly. In some cases, if a customer is unable to delete data collected on the app, they can still contact the company directly to have it removed.
Consumer Reports also has a tool called Permission Slips that instructs companies to delete your personal data.
Peloton told Consumer Reports that it does not sell member information to data brokers, but its privacy policy states that the data it collects may be used for marketing.
A representative for Hydrow, another company investigated by Consumer Reports, said the company is “fully compliant with all applicable data privacy regulations.”
Tonal, which Consumer Reports says stores users’ videos, told the consumer watchdog group, “We only store recordings that our customers choose to store.”
“Members can review their own videos to assess their form and refine their movements,” Tonal said. “You can always delete the recording if you want.”
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