Most Smart Watches, Rings, and Bands Lack Basic Transparency Reports and Key Privacy
Most consumer health wearables lack basic transparency reporting and end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for sensitive health data.
Health information is increasingly targeted by law enforcement, necessitating clear policies on government data requests and user notification.
Apple remains the only major manufacturer to provide E2EE for health data by default, while most competitors maintain server-side access to user information.
The Privacy Risk of Wearables
Approximately 40% of Americans use wearable health devices, which collect detailed metrics like heart rate, sleep patterns, and movement that serve as valuable data for law enforcement investigations.
Many companies monetize this data through third-party sharing or use it for AI model training, often without specific protections typical of other medical devices.
Transparency Report Status
Of 10 surveyed companies (Amazfit, Apple, Coros, Garmin, Google/Fitbit, Hume, Oura, Polar, Suunto, and Whoop), only Apple and Google publish regular transparency reports.
Apple, Google, Whoop, and Oura (as of June 2026) have committed to notifying users when law enforcement requests their data.
Suunto has expressed potential openness to future reporting, but the remaining companies provide no public documentation regarding government requests.
Encryption and Local Storage
Apple Watch is the only mainstream wearable that enables E2EE by default for data stored in the Apple Health app, and it uniquely offers the ability to disable iCloud syncing to keep data local to the device and phone.
Most other providers use encryption in transit and at rest, meaning the company can still access and analyze the data.
While E2EE can complicate cloud-based AI features, the EFF argues that providers must at least offer the option of local-only storage to empower user privacy choices.
Call to Action
Consumers are encouraged to demand transparency reports and E2EE features via company feedback pages, general support channels, and community forums.
Wearable manufacturers are urged to prioritize user privacy by committing to transparency and giving users full control over whether their health data is accessible by the service provider.