Fitbit Faces Complaints in the EU for Data Violation
Fitbit, owned by Google, is currently facing a series of complaints in the European Union for alleged violations of data protection rules. The complaints state that the company has been illegally exporting user data, thereby violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) norms.
The main contention revolves around Fitbit’s claim that users have consented to the international transmission of their information, particularly to the United States. However, data protection advocates argue that the company has been coercing users to give consent, which fails to meet the legislative requirements.
In accordance with GDPR, the processing of user data must have a legal basis. Additionally, users must have the ability to withdraw their consent, a requirement that, according to the complaints, is currently impossible without deleting the Fitbit account.
The complaints have been filed by European human rights organizations from Austria, the Netherlands, and Italy, acting on behalf of three Fitbit users. Notably, the human rights organization noyb, which has previously successfully appealed GDPR violations, has also played a role in submitting these complaints.
Commenting on the situation, Maartje de Graaf from Noyb said, “First, you buy a Fitbit for 100 euros, and then you subscribe to a paid subscription, only to discover that you are being forced to agree to the transfer of your data across the world.”
A press release from Noyb further highlights that during the account creation process on Fitbit, European users are obligated to consent to the transfer of their data to the United States, which could pose privacy risks.
If the complaints are found to be valid, Google could potentially face fines of up to 4% of its annual turnover, with the parent company Alphabet potentially being liable for up to 11.28 billion euros, considering its income.
However, based on past experiences in dealing with complaints against major tech companies, a decision on this matter could take a significant amount of time.