Privacy in consumer wearable technologies: a living systematic analysis of data policies across leading manufacturers.
systematic_review · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40517175.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41746-025-01757-1 and PMC identifier 12167361.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The widespread adoption of consumer wearable devices has enabled continuous biometric data collection at an unprecedented scale, raising important questions about data privacy, security, and user rights. In this study, we systematically evaluated the privacy policies of 17 leading wearable technology manufacturers using a novel rubric comprising 24 criteria across seven dimensions: transparency, data collection purposes, data minimization, user control and rights, third-party data sharing, data security, and breach notification. High Risk ratings were most frequent for transparency reporting (76%) and vulnerability disclosure (65%), while Low Risk ratings were common for identity policy (94%) and data access (71%). Xiaomi, Wyze, and Huawei had the highest cumulative risk scores, whereas Google, Apple, and Polar ranked lowest. Our findings highlight inconsistencies in data governance across the industry and underscore the need for stronger, sector-specific privacy standards. This living review will track ongoing policy changes and promote accountability in this rapidly evolving domain.