Mobile Metrics: User Perceptions of the Applicability of U.S. Health Information Privacy Laws to Wrist Activity Trackers

As wearable activity trackers (WATs) gain popularity in the U.S., concerns about their under-regulation under current privacy laws are increasingly pertinent. This study seeks to align efforts to address these gaps with user expectations by exploring how WAT users perceive privacy risks and regulatory gaps. Based on semi-structured interviews with 16 U.S. users, we find that participants identify 3 key risks: opaque data practices, location exposure, and unauthorized disclosure of sensitive health conditions. Users also express strong support for regulatory safeguards to address them. Users specifically call for enhanced transparency, greater control over data, enforceable restrictions on data sharing, and child-specific protections. Despite recognizing privacy risks, most users remain open to data sharing to trusted brands or for research purposes, suggesting that new laws need not curb WAT data sharing. We conclude by offering user-centered policy recommendations, including expanding public education on available protections and integrating new safeguards into HIPAA, given its high recognition among users.