Is Your Smart Watch Talking Behind Your Back?

When the current Chairman of the ACCC (the AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION) spoke to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday 21st October, 2021 - he was asked if he wore a Smart Watch.

The ACCC Chairman (Rod Sims) was there to talk about 'tackling market power in the Covid-19 era and beyond'. During his address he spoke of his concerns surrounding digital media and the collection, use and sale of personal data. When asked if he owned or wore a ‘Smart Watch’, he paused then held up a his arm to show his watch to the audience. He was wearing a traditional gent’s analogue watch with a leather strap. At the same time he answered, “No I don’t!”.

With concern about data collection and privacy increasing and more of us wearing Smart Watches, have any of us stopped to think about the information your watch is gathering and where it's going?

While I've been focused on protecting my personal data from being collected from my many devices I never thought about my iWatch. I wonder how many others have been going about their daily activities with everything being recorded and used without their knowledge or consent.

Perhaps this is something traditional watchmakers should consider in their brand marketing as they are the ones suffering from the sales of 'smart watches'. As for me - I think I'll put mine back in the draw for a while and go back to wearing a watch that simply tells time and avoid kissing my privacy goodbye.