Aria weight ins aren't actually private

[j0sch]

Despite Fitbit saying that "Your weight data is not visible to other users of your scale," there are bugs in the iPhone app and Windows PC app that allow users to view each other's private weight data (I didn't see this bug on Android or on the web-based dashboard/settings, but it could still exist on these or on other platforms).

On the iPhone or Windows PC, if a user goes to 'Account,' then selects 'Aria,' and then selects 'Recent Weigh-Ins,' it will show a recent history of all users who used the scale, with weights seemingly listed only for that user. However, if a user selects another user on this list and selects 'Assign weight,' and then selects him/herself, that weigh-in now shows up on the list as the user, with that person's weight listed. What's more, on the iPhone, and sometimes on the PC, a user can then quickly assign the weight back to the original person, and it will now list that user with his/her weight in perpetuity. Doing this quick trick a few times can easily display someone else's entire weigh-in history for all users linked to the scale.

This has led to some embarrassing situations among several users of my scale, as weight is a very sensitive issue for many people, and they would like to keep this sensitive information private, to themselves. Users of the Aria scale should be able to weigh themselves with the confidence that their weight will not be shared with others, and this is very disappointing. 

Fitbit needs to address this situation immediately.

Moderator edit: format

[DKGirl04]

A situation happened last Saturday at my house... I invited my boyfriend to use my aria scale. He stepped on it and went to his dashboard to view his weight. He opened the history and not knowing where it was, he changed the data from my last weigh in to his name and was able to view my weight. The privacy setting let people hide the data but when they do that they have control of all the weigh ins in the history. Below the option of users hiding or showing the data, there is the option to set what you want users to do with your data but there is no option. Let's just say that I gained a little weight in the last year and the situation was embarrassing with my boyfriend even if I know the number is just a number.... it is still a personal data that I do not want to share with everyone that step on my scale. I hope Fitbit will be working on it soon... this is a huge bug with your system. I am very unhappy!

[Rich_Laue]

I searched the feature request sure and was unable to find a suggestion to address what most are talking about here. I don't think you can blame Fitbit when none send to want to bring this issue to the Fitbit developers.

It seems no one has thought about @j0sch post above and made a request where the developers look.

So far we are simply discussing the issue amongst a  half dozen  Fitbit users..

[j0sch]

I brought this up directly to Fitbit numerous times and was told each time
their engineers were looking into it... clearly with no success.

--

Moderator edit: removed personal info

[JuanJoFitbit]

@j0sch It's great to see you in our Fitbit Community! I totally understand how you feel about this. Our team is still actively working on this. Once we have a solution to this, we'll make sure to post it in the Community.

I really appreciate your patience and understanding with this.

[MarkIT]

You destroy your credibility with an answer like that.  Seriously, this has been a known issue for years and fitbit continues to direct development resources elsewhere to more profitable products in the line or to new product development.  Fitbit appears not to have any intention of allocating the resources to fix this bug (or feature, if they continue to bury their heads in the sand).

Let's just be honest.  Please.

[JuanJoFitbit]

@MarkIT We’re aware of the issue, but may not be able to provide a fix in the immediate future. We'll continue to monitor the situation, and keep our team informed of the impact to you and other customers. We understand that this isn't the resolution you were hoping for, but rest assured we are always working to improve our products.

[MarkIT]

Thanks for your response.  I realize you are constrained in your responses as part of the fitbit team.  

However, when there are as many posts in the forum as this related to the identical issue, with laser-focused comments that this is deterring purchases of the product, it would seem prudent for fitbit to fix the problem and then see a corresponding jump in sales!!!

If the problem is slow sales of the product, fix the (perceived defect) software, and see what happens, right?  Hope springs eternal!!! 🙂  

[JuanJoFitbit]

@MarkIT Your feedback and comments will be sent to our team. Thank you for your time and understanding with this.

[SunsetRunner]

I reported this problem 25 months ago.  The scale was put away and remains unused all this time with apparently no progress after waiting 2+ years.  No response is needed.  Just venting my on-going unhappiness over this flaw.

[SamD75]

Is Fitbit actually going to resolve this problem? I’d like to invite my partner to use my Aria scale and due to the privacy settings, that’s not something I’m going to do. Weight is an extremely sensitive issue for a lot of people. It’s also a data protection issue. You claim the data is private and it’s not so it can’t be GDPR compliant. It would be good to get feedback on this, before reporting your lack of data compliance.   

[JuanJoFitbit]

@SamD75 Welcome to our Fitbit Community! I'm sorry for the late response. However, I appreciate your feedback about this. Once a solution is available, we'll make sure to post it the Community.

Let me know if you have any doubts!

[j0sch]

@JuanJoFitbit It's been three years since I originally raised this issue... 

I think there are many doubts.

[MarkIT]

GDPR Compliance!!!  VERY interesting observation.  I wonder if that means once you reported this that fitbit could no longer sell the scale in the EU?  (Do they now...?)

@JuanJoFitbit  are you an employee of fitbit?

Moderator edit: merged reply

[JuanJoFitbit]

@j0sch @MarkIT I truly understand how frustrating this is for you. Our team is informed about this and once a solution is available. We don't have a time-frame for this. However, we'll make sure to post it in the Community.

[Densiecf]

Any ideas on a different scale that is actually private?

[dbeasy]

After using the scale for a couple years I noticed on my wife's screen that all user weights were listed on her iPhone app. Her app would be very recent since she just upgraded to the iPhone 11 (similar to the XR) last month (around 9/1/2019). I double checked my Privacy settings and hers, they are both marked "Private", not even shared with Friends.

On my iPhone app (pretty old since I never upgrade) I can only view my own and "guests" which are two kids that use the scale (they are fine with their weight showing.) My wife and I don't really care if we see each others weights but when our settings on each separate account are marked "Private" then I sense a security problem here and must report it!

[MarkIT]

Unfortunately, this has been a long-known issue that our fitbit moderator acknowledges as being an area where more work is needed, but that work is not currently scheduled. Maybe that is because the Aria doesn’t bring in a lot of revenue. Maybe it doesn’t bring in revenue because this is a known issue and many people (including some in my family) refuse to have their weight seen by anyone but themselves. I, for one, would *love* for fitbit to plug this security flaw, but I am not holding out any hope since it has been known about literally for years and nothing has been done to correct it. I have felt sorry for our moderator who is an employee compelled to apply lipstick to a pig.

surely our Fitbit-employed moderator, who has responded to this concern in more than one thread knows where to get the issue into the queue!

Dear JuanJo, After years of no action by fitbit, I recently had to post on Consumer Reports under the Aria.  People need to be informed that the representations of private weight by fitbit are lacking in a forthright feature discussion.  Should fitbit ever correct the lack of privacy, I will happily update the information.  I have been a fitbit loyal customer for years, however, the lack of action on Aria privacy has been very concerning.  What other area of privacy is there we haven’t identified?  Wish there were evidence this is a real concern to fitbit!

Moderator edit: merged reply

[McMarty]

Appalled by this discovery on purchasing the scales today and immediately exposing this issue when two of us in the household could see each other’s weights - and so we started searching for how to stop it; here we are !

We now have 3 Fitbit users in the house only 1 of whom will now use the scales due to this privacy fault ! We would not have purchased had we known. 

This must be a breach of privacy despite users inviting each other ?

[j0sch]

Five and a half years since I originally posted this and still no fix... and Fitbit considers this issue "solved."

Unbelievable, Fitbit, unbelievable...

[Amrobaan]

Has this issue been fixed? Because it's 2023 and my husband and I just discovered that we can see each others weigh in information. I feel like this issue should have been resolved by now.