Apple assures FTC that it will keep Apple Watch health data secure
With the Apple Watch capable of collecting sensitive health data, Reuters reports that the FTC has sought assurances from Apple that said data will not be used without the consent of the owners, will not be sold to third-parties, and above all, will remain safe and secure. Naturally, Apple has obliged, pointing out to the FTC that health data on the Apple Watch is encrypted.
The two people, both familiar with the FTC's thinking, said Apple representatives have met on multiple occasions with agency officials in recent months, to stress that it will not sell its users' health data to third-party entities such as marketers or allow third-party developers to do so.
Apple said it works closely with regulators around the world, including the FTC, to describe built-in data protections for its services. "We've been very encouraged by their support," Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told Reuters.
The report adds that the FTC's focus on Apple is not likely to lead to any type of formal investigation, but is rather the result of previous findings which have shown that some developers with access to user health data sell that information to third party advertisers.
