Just ahead of the market availability of its wearable gadget, Apple Watch, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has asked Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) for user data protection. Apple Watch features HealthKit app, which collects vital health data of the user and stores it on iCloud. FTC is concerned about the unauthorized use of health data and its sale to the advertisers.
The representatives of the iPhone maker have met the FTC executives several times to assure the safety of user data and the fact that the data will not be provided to the advertisers or third-party developers without user consent. According to the latest sources, FTC has shown keen interest in the Apple Watch considering its ability to record pulse rate and associated vital information. There is no news about an official investigation or inquiry but the commission is very well aware of the financial aspects of selling user health data.
In response, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) reassured the authorities that they have an in-built encryption that keeps user data safe. The company spokeswoman, Trudy Muller, said, “We’ve been very encouraged by their support,” and while talking about the safety of user data, she added, “We designed HealthKit with privacy in mind.”
The brief description of HealthKit on Apple Inc’s website says,
“The new Health app gives you an easy‑to‑read dashboard of your health and fitness data. And we’ve created a new tool for developers called HealthKit, which allows all the incredible health and fitness apps to work together, and work harder, for you.”
Further, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) mentioned about the data protection saying,
“The information you generate about yourself is yours to use and share. You decide what information is placed in Health and which apps can access your data through the Health app.”
The iPhone maker mentioned the encryption feature of the tool by saying,
“When your phone is locked with a passcode or Touch ID, all of your health and fitness data in the Health app is encrypted. You can back up data stored in the Health app to iCloud, where it is encrypted while in transit and at rest. Apps that access HealthKit are required to have a privacy policy, so be sure to review these policies before providing apps with access to your health and fitness data.”
The chairwoman of FTC, Edith Ramirez, appreciated Apple Inc’s efforts to keep user data and private information under protection.
This article has been written by Prakash Pandey.
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