Why Did Joe Rogan Ditch His Smartwatch?

Vol. 3

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State of the Union

Joe Rogan recently posted on Instagram about ditching Polar Heart Rate Monitor because of their privacy policy sending his data overseas. The terms and conditions read “I agree that my personal data may be transferred and processed outside my country of origin as described in the Polar Privacy Notice. I can change my settings about this consent at any time.”

He quickly pivoted companies and has since been touting a Garmin Fenix 7 watch, recommended by his ultramarathon running, bowhunting, patriotic buddy Cameron Hanes, and using the nearly $1,000 watch in his home sauna. Rogan has swayed the market with buyers scrambling to get their wrists on Garmin’s supercomputer of a watch, all in the name of data privacy.

So, was Rogan right? Does Polar steal your data and send it overseas? What about other companies like Apple, Garmin, or Whoop? Is your data being stolen by Big Tech?

Unfortunately, it probably is.

Where Does My Data Go?

Let’s talk about where it doesn’t go first.

How You’re Protected - HIPAA Compliance

HIPAA prevents your doctor or other healthcare providers from sharing your health information without your consent. In the wearable space, however, companies are not typically sharing your information with a healthcare provider, so they are not beholden to the same standards for privacy.

This means smartwatch companies do not follow HIPAA compliance, unless your physician is involved.

Ok… So How Is My Data Used?

Well… it depends on the company (see creepiness ratings here). Companies detail their uses for your data in their private policy. If you’re like us, you probably didn’t read it.

However, we’ve taken the liberty read them all very carefully to write this article.

Here’s what they all said:

Apple, Garmin, Whoop, Fitbit all state: “we do not sell your personal data to anyone.”

BUT.

They may share your personal data with its affiliates, service providers, business partners, payment processors, emergency service providers, law enforcement agencies, or other third parties as described in its privacy policy.

The Bottom Line

While wearable companies aren’t making money directly off your health data, it’s important to be aware of how your information is utilized. While some of this may sound scary, for many, the benefit of having access to biometric data far outweighs most privacy concerns. It’s just data bro, it’s not even real.

With love,

JT & Phil

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