As mobile health and fitness apps and wearables gain popularity in Australia, privacy experts have raised concerns that companies are monetising personal medical information.
There are thousands of health and fitness devices and apps on the market, but it is not always clear if users’ data is kept confidential.
Health apps track a person’s exercise habits, diet, weight, mood and even sexual activity.
David Vaile, from the Cyber Space Law and Policy Community at the University of New South Wales, is sceptical of new health apps and devices.
Mr Vaile described e-health as a gold rush for unscrupulous companies who ‘on-sell’ information to third parties.
“It’s the most sensitive information that they’re dealing with — health data and data that’s derived from your body,” he said.
“It’s not being operated by doctors … the business model is monetisation of personal information.”
Mr Vaile said many of the apps and devices are not covered by Australia’s Privacy Act, because many are owned and designed overseas.
“They typically won’t disclose who it’s going to, where it’s going to or exactly what it’s going to be used for.
“It’s out of the country, it’s out of the [Australian] jurisdiction.”
Information harvested and sold to data companies
Professor Deborah Lupton, who looks at big data and health research at the University of Canberra, holds similar privacy concerns about new health innovations.
“The big issue that I think every consumer needs to be aware of is just what happens to their personal data,” Professor Lupton said.
“Research shows that more and more, for example, insurance companies are using people’s personal information that can be harvested from social media interactions and from their use of apps and wearable device software.
“There are many very clever data scientists who know exactly how to access open information that people voluntarily upload to the web.”
She said that information was sold to data companies to build a profile on a consumer.
Nicole Lewis is a runner from Newcastle in New South Wales.
Every step she takes is tracked by the fitness watch she wears, and an app she uses to connect with other runners around the world.
Ms Lewis wears a watch made by a multinational company based in Switzerland.
“I started running in the last 12 months and so it measures distances and time and pace, that sort of thing,” she said.
Ms Lewis is not worried about how her data is being stored.
“Personally I think it’s fine, I don’t think there’s enough on there that is a concern,” she said.
“Just because I might have run five kilometres, what difference does that make, other than to say, ‘Nicole hasn’t been for a run today’.”
The president of the Medical Software Industry of Australia, Emma Hossack, said she did not believe companies were tricking consumers to mine their data.
Ms Hossack said Australian consumers were becoming more savvy to privacy concerns.
“There’s quite a strong core of people who are acutely aware that once they download apps their information does end up somewhere,” Ms Hossack said.
She believes most companies are treating their consumers’ private information with care.
“These companies are obviously very astute, they’re multi-million dollar international companies,” Ms Hossack said.
“They realise that if they don’t treat consumers’ information with due respect, consumers will turn off the tap.”