US Garmin users question the actual reason behind data collection: more reasons to revoke your insurance?

Users want to know Garmin’s next step amid mass data collection for RFK Jr’s autism study.

When news broke that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) plans to collect Americans' private medical records, it raised alarm bells for some people who wear health monitoring devices.

One user on Reddit started a discussion by sharing an excerpt from an article focusing on the autism study.

The study, which is being conducted to find the root causes of increased autism diagnoses, could use data from pharmacy medication records, lab testing results, and claims from private insurers, as well as fitness trackers and smartwatches, reports CBS News.

The user then asked whether this means that their Garmin accounts “will be linked to other health data and made accessible,” and whether Garmin, as a company, can even allow that. They were also curious as to whether users could stop this.

“My health insurance provider is constantly trying to give me a ‘free’ fitness tracker. The kicker is, they get access to the data. Presumably to increase my premiums,” noted one Redditor.

“Exactly. I never volunteer more than insurance requires because once the data is theirs, it's theirs to use forever,” shared another.

The reply prompted a debate between those who try to protect their data and those who believe that that’s hardly avoidable, so they might as well get something out of it.

A number of users shared that they would get certain benefits, such as gift cards and discounts, if they linked their wearables to their health insurance.

When it comes to whether companies such as Garmin would allow user data to be used for research purposes, one Redditor believes that this should be left as an “opt-in” option.

“The conclusions drawn from such data seems potentially super sketchy considering the vast majority of smart watches are not medical devices and not everybody wears theirs 24/7,” explained the user.

Another Redditor replied, mentioning the US Secretary of Health, Robert F Kennedy Jr, who founded the study with a goal to find the causes of autism by September.

“RFK Jr isn't known for having a robust data set to draw a conclusion. Take crappy data set, find some random noise that supports whatever talking point he's making and calling it a day,” wrote the user.

Will the US NIH have access to our Garmin data?
byu/Tanjelynnb inGarmin

In addition to users who thought that such datasets would be invaluable and inaccurate, since smartwatches and trackers aren’t medical devices, some were worried that such data collection would cause problems in the future.

“There's just so many ways this could be used against you. Especially when things go wrong. When there's more data, there are more reasons to revoke your insurance,” shared Redditor.

Nevertheless, some users online thought of the situation as inevitable, stating:

“At some point, the data revolution needs to come. It’s totally possible to anonymize the data. That is an obstacle that can be overcome. Fitness watch data could revolutionize healthcare and redefine ‘normal.’”

With health monitoring devices becoming more common, some companies are already looking for ways to make them even more important in our everyday lives.

For example, last year, Samsung presented an update for its Health app that allows users to access their medical records from clinics, hospitals, and health networks.

Nevertheless, its Health Records were also met with skepticism from data-conscious users.