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Disclaimer: I work for Fitbit but speak only for myself. The guide says of Fitbit Versa, "Shares your information with 3rd parties for unexpected reasons: yes"

Disclaimer: I work for Fitbit but speak only for myself. The guide says of Fitbit Versa, "Shares your information with 3rd parties for unexpected reasons: yes". This is false. The rating may just be by vote, but there's no excuse for getting the facts wrong.

lozaning 8y ago
Zigbee devices don't use the security of your home wifi for encryption either. There are many technical inaccuracies across the ratings.
mediocrejoker 8y ago
Just to play devil's advocate, does Fitbit Versa share your information with third parties for any reason, expected or otherwise?
- brlewis 8y ago
  https://www.fitbit.com/legal/privacy-policy#how-info-is-shared https://www.fitbit.com/legal/privacy-policy#how-info-is-shar...
  - function_seven 8y ago
    Let me condense that to the relevant bit. All emphasis is mine. > How Information Is Shared > We do not share your personal information except in the limited circumstances described below. > For External Processing > We transfer information to our corporate affiliates, service providers, and other partners (so, basically anybody) who process it for us, based on our instructions, and in compliance with this policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures. These partners provide us with services globally, including for customer support, information technology, payments, sales, marketing, data analysis, research (so we can ad target you), and surveys. If I buy a gadget to track my personal exercise routine, it is definitely unexpected that my whereabouts are being monitored by advertising companies. Does Apple do the same with their fitness data on the watch?
    - brlewis 8y ago
      Does Apple do the same with their fitness data on the watch? You're free to speculate on the worst possible implications of their privacy policy too. Here's an excerpt from https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ Service Providers Apple shares personal information with companies who provide services such as information processing, extending credit, fulfilling customer orders, delivering products to you, managing and enhancing customer data, providing customer service, assessing your interest in our products and services, and conducting customer research or satisfaction surveys. These companies are obligated to protect your information and may be located wherever Apple operates.
craftyguy 8y ago
> This is false Since the software is proprietary, and you are not making an official announcement on behalf of fitbit, why should we believe you? What you say directly contradicts the privacy policy[0] on your employer's website, which certainly states that they have the freedom to share your information 'with others': "You may also authorize us to share your information with others" and "We transfer information to our corporate affiliates, service providers, and other partners who process it for us" 0. https://www.fitbit.com/legal/privacy-policy#how-info-is-shared https://www.fitbit.com/legal/privacy-policy#how-info-is-shar...
- brlewis 8y ago
  Please stay on topic. The claim I said was false was "shares your information with 3rd parties for unexpected reasons".
  - sincerely 8y ago
    If I'm using a fitness tracker watch, I'd expect that the functionality doesn't involve sharing my data with 3rd parties.
  - craftyguy 8y ago
    Who expects a fitness tracker to share information to 3rd parties at all? I bet if you asked any of fitbit's customers if they expected fitbit to share their information with <insert random 'data processing' company here>, they would not have expected that.
    - brlewis 8y ago
      Who? Anyone who knows that companies contract work out. At very few companies is every single function performed by employees.
      - cyphar 8y ago
        I don't see what employing contractors has to do with sharing user data with third-parties.
oarsinsync 8y ago
Tangential to this discussion, but given that you're a Fitbit employee... Do you have any particular insight as to why Fitbit still doesn't support the Apple Watch at all? I've made my choice of wearable (mostly due to forgetting to take my Charge HR off when going swimming) and don't particularly want to be in a fitness-tracker-akimbo situation again. The primary value proposition of the Fitbit app (to me) is the social/competition aspect. MobileTrack clocks in anywhere between 2000-9000 steps/day short compared to my watch or my old Fitbit (as I don't carry my phone everywhere I go). I guess this might not be totally tangential to the sibling thread that followed, as I guess the reason is my activity data isn't valuable enough to Fitbit as a business, which relies primarily on equipment sales? Eitherway, I'd love to keep using the Fitbit app. The competitions, the badges, they're all great, and way better than the Apple Watch's social/competition functions. Unfortunately, the rest of the product lineup no longer appeals now that I have the AW.
- brlewis 8y ago
  I'm happy to share my personal opinions on a lot of topics. This one I don't know about and don't have any more insight than you. Your question kind of touches on future product direction, and in that area I'll keep quiet, not even saying what I do or don't know.

lozaning 8y ago

Zigbee devices don't use the security of your home wifi for encryption either. There are many technical inaccuracies across the ratings.

mediocrejoker 8y ago

Just to play devil's advocate, does Fitbit Versa share your information with third parties for any reason, expected or otherwise?

brlewis 8y ago
https://www.fitbit.com/legal/privacy-policy#how-info-is-shared https://www.fitbit.com/legal/privacy-policy#how-info-is-shar...
- function_seven 8y ago
  Let me condense that to the relevant bit. All emphasis is mine. > How Information Is Shared > We do not share your personal information except in the limited circumstances described below. > For External Processing > We transfer information to our corporate affiliates, service providers, and other partners (so, basically anybody) who process it for us, based on our instructions, and in compliance with this policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures. These partners provide us with services globally, including for customer support, information technology, payments, sales, marketing, data analysis, research (so we can ad target you), and surveys. If I buy a gadget to track my personal exercise routine, it is definitely unexpected that my whereabouts are being monitored by advertising companies. Does Apple do the same with their fitness data on the watch?
  - brlewis 8y ago
    Does Apple do the same with their fitness data on the watch? You're free to speculate on the worst possible implications of their privacy policy too. Here's an excerpt from https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ Service Providers Apple shares personal information with companies who provide services such as information processing, extending credit, fulfilling customer orders, delivering products to you, managing and enhancing customer data, providing customer service, assessing your interest in our products and services, and conducting customer research or satisfaction surveys. These companies are obligated to protect your information and may be located wherever Apple operates.

craftyguy 8y ago

> This is false Since the software is proprietary, and you are not making an official announcement on behalf of fitbit, why should we believe you? What you say directly contradicts the privacy policy[0] on your employer's website, which certainly states that they have the freedom to share your information 'with others': "You may also authorize us to share your information with others" and "We transfer information to our corporate affiliates, service providers, and other partners who process it for us" 0. https://www.fitbit.com/legal/privacy-policy#how-info-is-shared https://www.fitbit.com/legal/privacy-policy#how-info-is-shar...

brlewis 8y ago
Please stay on topic. The claim I said was false was "shares your information with 3rd parties for unexpected reasons".
- sincerely 8y ago
  If I'm using a fitness tracker watch, I'd expect that the functionality doesn't involve sharing my data with 3rd parties.
- craftyguy 8y ago
  Who expects a fitness tracker to share information to 3rd parties at all? I bet if you asked any of fitbit's customers if they expected fitbit to share their information with <insert random 'data processing' company here>, they would not have expected that.
  - brlewis 8y ago
    Who? Anyone who knows that companies contract work out. At very few companies is every single function performed by employees.
    - cyphar 8y ago
      I don't see what employing contractors has to do with sharing user data with third-parties.

oarsinsync 8y ago

Tangential to this discussion, but given that you're a Fitbit employee... Do you have any particular insight as to why Fitbit still doesn't support the Apple Watch at all? I've made my choice of wearable (mostly due to forgetting to take my Charge HR off when going swimming) and don't particularly want to be in a fitness-tracker-akimbo situation again. The primary value proposition of the Fitbit app (to me) is the social/competition aspect. MobileTrack clocks in anywhere between 2000-9000 steps/day short compared to my watch or my old Fitbit (as I don't carry my phone everywhere I go). I guess this might not be totally tangential to the sibling thread that followed, as I guess the reason is my activity data isn't valuable enough to Fitbit as a business, which relies primarily on equipment sales? Eitherway, I'd love to keep using the Fitbit app. The competitions, the badges, they're all great, and way better than the Apple Watch's social/competition functions. Unfortunately, the rest of the product lineup no longer appeals now that I have the AW.

brlewis 8y ago
I'm happy to share my personal opinions on a lot of topics. This one I don't know about and don't have any more insight than you. Your question kind of touches on future product direction, and in that area I'll keep quiet, not even saying what I do or don't know.