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Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

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Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#11

Post by [deleted] »

daliusd wrote: post #6
llarsson wrote: post #3

"Google could know which medications I take, and what any medical diagnosis's I have," Carpenter said. "It makes me feel sick to my stomach." Google already knows what diagnoses people have, simply because people have been searching their symptoms. Remember when Google several years ago boasted about predicting epidemics faster than the health care system, based on searches?

They are not doing this anymore [0] and I assume there is a reason for that. UDPATE: Here is the reason: "And then, GFT failed—and failed spectacularly—missing at the peak of the 2013 flu season by 140 percent. When Google quietly euthanized the program, called Google Flu Trends (GFT), it turned the poster child of big data into the poster child of the foibles of big data. " [1] [0] https://www.google.org/flutrends/a…

[deleted]

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#13

Post by ryanmercer »

daliusd wrote: post #6
llarsson wrote: post #3

"Google could know which medications I take, and what any medical diagnosis's I have," Carpenter said. "It makes me feel sick to my stomach." Google already knows what diagnoses people have, simply because people have been searching their symptoms. Remember when Google several years ago boasted about predicting epidemics faster than the health care system, based on searches?

They are not doing this anymore [0] and I assume there is a reason for that. UDPATE: Here is the reason: "And then, GFT failed—and failed spectacularly—missing at the peak of the 2013 flu season by 140 percent. When Google quietly euthanized the program, called Google Flu Trends (GFT), it turned the poster child of big data into the poster child of the foibles of big data. " [1] [0] https://www.google.org/flutrends/a…

That just says they are no longer publishing it. That is very intentional phrasing.

>Google Flu Trends and Google Dengue Trends are no longer publishing current estimates

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#14

Post by _jal »

llarsson wrote: post #3

"Google could know which medications I take, and what any medical diagnosis's I have," Carpenter said. "It makes me feel sick to my stomach." Google already knows what diagnoses people have, simply because people have been searching their symptoms. Remember when Google several years ago boasted about predicting epidemics faster than the health care system, based on searches?

"People" may have, but that does not mean Carpenter or other specific Fitbit owners did.

There's the general and the specific.

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#15

Post by mc32 »

ryanmercer wrote: post #8
LegitShady wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's different that wearing a tracking device ok your arm. People are really upset because google started acting politically. If they weren't concerned about Google's judgment they wouldn't be worried. But they're right to worry.

>That's different that wearing a tracking device ok your arm. An activity tracking device on your arm can't determine what medication you are taking or what diagnosis you have unless it has a secret microphone that is recording every conversation and uploading it for analysis, which is what the concern the person you replied to quoted.

But it can know how active / inactive you are and may also know your location(s) (if you enable that).

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#16

Post by phkahler »

ryanmercer wrote: post #8
LegitShady wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's different that wearing a tracking device ok your arm. People are really upset because google started acting politically. If they weren't concerned about Google's judgment they wouldn't be worried. But they're right to worry.

>That's different that wearing a tracking device ok your arm. An activity tracking device on your arm can't determine what medication you are taking or what diagnosis you have unless it has a secret microphone that is recording every conversation and uploading it for analysis, which is what the concern the person you replied to quoted.

Who doesnt have a phone? Who doesnt talk to people with a phone? If Google is secretly recording conversations almost everyone is covered regardless of what device they have - even no device.

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#17

Post by daliusd »

ryanmercer wrote: post #13
daliusd wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are not doing this anymore [0] and I assume there is a reason for that. UDPATE: Here is the reason: "And then, GFT failed—and failed spectacularly—missing at the peak of the 2013 flu season by 140 percent. When Google quietly euthanized the program, called Google Flu Trends (GFT), it turned the poster child of big data into the poster child of the foibles of big data. " [1] [0] https://www.google.org/flutrends/a…

That just says they are no longer publishing it. That is very intentional phrasing. >Google Flu Trends and Google Dengue Trends are no longer publishing current estimates

As well they say they are working with universities on that. Basically, they are doing something most probably, but not necessary have something valuable.

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#18

Post by Zenst »

daliusd wrote: post #6
llarsson wrote: post #3

"Google could know which medications I take, and what any medical diagnosis's I have," Carpenter said. "It makes me feel sick to my stomach." Google already knows what diagnoses people have, simply because people have been searching their symptoms. Remember when Google several years ago boasted about predicting epidemics faster than the health care system, based on searches?

They are not doing this anymore [0] and I assume there is a reason for that. UDPATE: Here is the reason: "And then, GFT failed—and failed spectacularly—missing at the peak of the 2013 flu season by 140 percent. When Google quietly euthanized the program, called Google Flu Trends (GFT), it turned the poster child of big data into the poster child of the foibles of big data. " [1] [0] https://www.google.org/flutrends/a…

Maybe that people look up all kinds of things not related to themselves. For example, read an article and it mentions some illness you have not heard of, you double tap the illness in question and right-click and search for that. Things like that will skew results. Heck, if google based my health upon what I've googled over the years then they would of had me flagged as dead many times over.

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#19

Post by MichaelApproved »

Classic example of an article in search of a movement.

Take a handful of tweets that share an opinion and write an article that makes it seem like there's a mass exodus.

It's ok, you don't need anything more than a handful of tweets to back your claim.

Yes, some people are privacy conscious and are going to stop using Fitbit but how many are actually doing it? A lot? A few?

Who knows. I'm sure author has no clue but that won't stop them from writing this empty article.

Re: Some users say they're getting rid of Fitbit because they don't trust Google

#20

Post by worldsayshi »

rvz wrote: post #10

Ideally I would prefer a SmartWatch that has AsteroidOS [0] preinstalled that on the software-level is free from Google. Such a watch might be very difficult to obtain. Even by flashing existing Android Wear devices not only it requires several steps, but the unfortunate lack of apps might be a big turn-off for many people. Either that or my money will be going to an Apple Watch. [0] https://asteroidos.org/

> Either that or my money will be going to an Apple Watch.

Because at least you're not the product?

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