Citizen data sovereignty is key to wearables and wellness data reuse for the common good

Abstract

Smartphones, smartwatches, linked wearables, and associated wellness apps have had rapid uptake. These tools become ever ‘smarter’ in sensing intimate aspects of our surroundings and physiology over time, including activity, metabolites, electrical signals, blood pressure and oxygenation. Proposed EU law stipulates the ‘involuntary donation’ of depersonalized health and wellness data. There has been pushback against the ever-increasing gathering and sharing of wellness data in this context, increasing with every app purchased or updated. Is the potential of this data now lost to research? Consent-led COVID-19 data donation projects signpost a participative, standardized, and scalable approach to data sharing.