The privacy and personal information issues are of huge concern or should be do all who have bought a Fitbit watch - in my case a Charge 6. I had a Versa 2 but it burned out literally. For a 1/3 discount, I bought a Charge 6. What could go wrong?
1. Trying to "add" the Charge 6 to my Fitbit account on an iPhone, the message prompts me to "first move your account to Google." It states "should" move account. But, that should is stronger than the word implies. When I selected "maybe later" the app recycles me back to the beginning. Effectively, there is no way to proceed without migrating your Fitbit account to Google. Wait! It gets worse.
2. Out of curiosity having at this point decided I do not want a product from a company that forces me to make decisions I don't want to, I select "proceed" to continue the migration of my account to Google. I'm then told "are you sure you want to leave this screen?" I'm not sure but have no choice. I'm then taken to another screen where there's information about the meaning of Fitbit being Google. I "get started." I then choose my Google account. I then "review and confirm" my Fitbit setup.
3. Now, the cautionary language happens. "Fitbit profile info, like your height and weight, will move to your Google account along with your health and wellness data..." Hmmmm.....do I want Google computers to know this much about me. I'm fine with my docs knowing this information but a sales and marketing behemoth....not so much. For curiosity sake, knowing I'm not going to complete this registration, I continue.
4. I decline allowing Google Fitbit to inundate me with "news, updates, research invitations...." And, now get to the clincher - Step 3 which states "Review how Google uses Fitbit data and agree to move." I'm given the invitation to continue with this "take a moment to learn what information will be collected about you, how it's used, and the privacy controls available to you." I'm thinking at this point the best privacy control that I have is not to allow them to have my information in the first place. Granted, there is language that states "your Fitbit health and wellness data won't e used for Google Ads....." Do we really believe behemoth Google has our best interests at heart in the use of very personal and specific data of our fitness and health? How long have you had your blinders on?
5. There are then multiple more steps to which you must agree; there is no negotiation. Sound familiar?
6. This leaves me and hopefully others with the questions - when is too much too much? When are we consumers going to say "enough!" Or, are we going to proceed with the next bright and shiny object being led off cliffs into an abyss of now knowing who and what knows everything about us?
Moderator Edit: Clarified subject
