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Why fitness apps can pose privacy risks


Published on 2024-12-14 04:03:08 - MSN
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  • An app that knows what you eat, where and how long you work out every day and your personal details is a treasure trove of data. That's why many health and fitness apps are free. Essentially, it's a trade-off between the rewards of these programmes and allowing them access to your data.

The article from MSN discusses the privacy risks associated with fitness apps. It highlights how these apps, while beneficial for tracking health and fitness goals, often collect extensive personal data including location, heart rate, and daily routines. This data can be shared with third parties for marketing or other purposes, potentially without the user's full awareness or consent. The article points out that such data sharing can lead to privacy breaches, where sensitive information might be used in ways that users did not anticipate, like targeted advertising or even more concerning uses like insurance profiling or employment decisions. Furthermore, the article mentions that many fitness apps do not have robust security measures, making them vulnerable to hacks, which could expose users' personal information. It advises users to be cautious about the permissions they grant to these apps, read privacy policies, and consider the implications of the data they share.

Read the Full MSN Article at:
[ https://www.msn.com/en-za/health/fitness-and-exercise/why-fitness-apps-can-pose-privacy-risks/ar-AA1vQw2H ]