Activists file a lawsuit
Fitbit threatens lawsuit over data protection rules
08/31/2023 10:43 am
The Google subsidiary Fitbit is best known for its fitness bracelets. It’s not just common among athletes. However, the trackers would violate European data protection rules, reports the organization “None of Your Business”. She is suing the company.
The data protection organization “None of Your Business” (NOYB) is suing Fitbit for alleged violations of European data protection rules. NOYB, a group founded by activist Max Schrems, said the fitness tracker provider would force users to consent to data transfers outside of the EU and would not provide a way to withdraw consent. The revocation is only possible by deleting the user account, whereby the user loses the recordings of his training sessions and health data.
Fitbit, which belongs to the Internet group Google, sells wristbands and watches that record user activity, as well as certain bodily functions such as heart rate or sleep cycles. “Although the company collects the most sensitive health information, it is amazing that it does not even attempt to disclose its uses of this data, as required by law,” said NOYB attorney Bernardo Armentano.
NOYB has already sued numerous technology companies
Violations of the European data protection directive can result in penalties of up to four percent of the annual global company turnover. In 2022, Alphabet subsidiary Google generated $280 billion in revenue. In the past, the Vienna-based group NOYB has sued numerous technology groups for data protection violations and has in some cases obtained billions in fines.
In May, the Irish data protection authority imposed a record fine of 1.2 billion euros on the Facebook parent company Meta. The background was the transfer of data from the EU to US servers. The trigger for the procedure was a complaint from Schrems. The decision only applies to Facebook, not to the other services of the group.