The most data-collecting health apps on the market

Fitness apps have been found to collect a significant amount of personal data on users, including precise locations, financial information, and even photos. A recent analysis of 10 popular fitness apps on the Google Play Store revealed that seven of them collected photos from users, while five collected users’ precise current locations.

The data collected by these apps goes beyond what most users may expect, with information ranging from health and fitness data to crash logs and device IDs. This data is not only stored by the apps but is also shared with third parties, including data brokers who can use it for various purposes such as background checks by employers or checks by insurers.

Among the apps analyzed, Fitbit and Strava were found to collect the most amount of personal information, with Fitbit collecting 21 different types of data points and Strava collecting 19. Runna, a running coach app, collected 13 data points and shared all of them with third parties, including users’ precise location, name, email addresses, photos, and health and fitness information.

The revelation of the extent of data collection by fitness apps has raised concerns among privacy experts. Darius Belejevas, head of data protection service Incogni, emphasized the importance of users being aware of the data they are giving away, as this information can be highly valuable to data brokers and other interested parties.

As users become more conscious of their privacy and data security, the issue of data collection by fitness apps is likely to come under increased scrutiny. It remains to be seen how app developers and regulators will respond to these concerns in the future.