I have been a member of Fitbit since July 2014. 
In the beginning I loved what Fitbit did for me.  It made me aware that because of my desk job that I was spending too much time behind a desk and not moving as much as I should.  Over the years Fitbit began more tracking and now they can track –

•   How many steps I take a day.
•   Have I exercised today?
•   Have I done "mindful" breathing?
•   Time to move – hourly reminders
•   How is my weight?
•   Did I eat enough or too much?
•   Have I drank water?
•   What is my current heart rate? Resting heart rate?
•   How did I sleep?

On top of that they have my DOB, height, and weight.

Two days ago, I took off my Fitbit.  This is what I discovered about me.

•   I am active.  I do not need a device to tell me if I am.
•   I hike every morning for about a mile with the dogs.  It is about a 30-minute hike.
•   I spend time with God every morning reading my bible and praying.
•   I do not sit still...there is always something to do.
•   My weight is stable – a few pounds lost would not hurt me.
•   I eat fairly healthy and know when I don't.
•   If I drink 3 of my designated water cups a day, it is over 64 ounces.
•   If I wake up feeling rested, then I must have gotten plenty of sleep.

I cannot begin to tell you how often I have let Fitbit tell me I failed.  Or how many times I allowed it to tell me I had a bad night sleep even though I woke up feeling rested.  Why was I allowing this faceless corporation to tell me how or what I should feel or do? 

It was the email that Fitbit had partnered with Google that really shook me awake.  Why would Google want my "health" information?  Fitbit also has GPS tracking, which you can turn off, so Google could potentially know where I am 24/7.

So with this in mind I have turned off my device and packed it away.  The Big Tech has enough information on me without me freely giving them this.

On a interesting note the Veterans Administration has recently partnered with Fitbit too.

Quote from: Solars Toy on January 16, 2021, 09:16:04 AM
I have been a member of Fitbit since July 2014. 
In the beginning I loved what Fitbit did for me.  It made me aware that because of my desk job that I was spending too much time behind a desk and not moving as much as I should.  Over the years Fitbit began more tracking and now they can track –

•   How many steps I take a day.
•   Have I exercised today?
•   Have I done "mindful" breathing?
•   Time to move – hourly reminders
•   How is my weight?
•   Did I eat enough or too much?
•   Have I drank water?
•   What is my current heart rate? Resting heart rate?
•   How did I sleep?

On top of that they have my DOB, height, and weight.

Two days ago, I took off my Fitbit.  This is what I discovered about me.

•   I am active.  I do not need a device to tell me if I am.
•   I hike every morning for about a mile with the dogs.  It is about a 30-minute hike.
•   I spend time with God every morning reading my bible and praying.
•   I do not sit still...there is always something to do.
•   My weight is stable – a few pounds lost would not hurt me.
•   I eat fairly healthy and know when I don't.
•   If I drink 3 of my designated water cups a day, it is over 64 ounces.
•   If I wake up feeling rested, then I must have gotten plenty of sleep.

I cannot begin to tell you how often I have let Fitbit tell me I failed.  Or how many times I allowed it to tell me I had a bad night sleep even though I woke up feeling rested.  Why was I allowing this faceless corporation to tell me how or what I should feel or do? 

It was the email that Fitbit had partnered with Google that really shook me awake.  Why would Google want my "health" information?  Fitbit also has GPS tracking, which you can turn off, so Google could potentially know where I am 24/7.

So with this in mind I have turned off my device and packed it away.  The Big Tech has enough information on me without me freely giving them this.

On a interesting note the Veterans Administration has recently partnered with Fitbit too.

A bit too Orwellian indeed.
Books I read in my youth and glad I did. 1984 by Orwell, Huxley's Brave New World,  Frenheight 451 by Bradbury, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and many others of course but the above should be required reading.

Quote from: dickfoster on January 16, 2021, 09:41:37 AM
A bit too Orwellian indeed.
Books I read in my youth and glad I did. 1984 by Orwell, Huxley's Brave New World,  Frenheight 451 by Bradbury, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and many others of course but the above should be required reading.

I have read both by Ayn Rand but not 1984 by Orwell..maybe it's time.  Toy

Quote from: Solars Toy on January 16, 2021, 10:19:58 AM
I have read both by Ayn Rand but not 1984 by Orwell..maybe it's time.  Toy

It's almost errey how accurate some of Orwell's predictions were.

I received an email from Fitbit saying since I'm a disabled Vet, I could get the latest and best Fitbit for free. VA and Fitbit sharing info?
Followed right behind that email was the other confirming they had partnered with google (snoop).

That's it for me, I'm busting mine and getting a different kind of tracker.

I will video the smashing of a perfectly good fitbit watch so the world knows what kind of evil these two mergers created. Google merging with the VA, what could possible go wrong?

Well I've had a a fitbit since they first came out.  This is my last one.  I am no longer wearing it.  I'm sure that only the GPS models will be available since they can better track you.  Goodbye fitbit !!!!!

I have a fitbit too, and I wasn't aware of the google connection until now.  Thanks for letting us know.  I will be getting a brand new watch.  One with hands (I like the ones with hands and numbers) old fashioned I know!

I only got it to follow my steps.  I really, really walk a lot at camp, but when I'm home I'm on the computer or my phone all the time.  LOL  I'll be on less in the summer. 

So, thanks for the information.  You da best.

Here was the first email. I signed up because they were going to give me the latest for free because I'm a disabled Vet.


Thank you for applying to be a part of Fitbit Care's program in collaboration with the VA. We will email you in January to let you know whether you have been selected to participate or whether you have been placed on the waiting list.

You can unsubscribe from these emails at any time by clicking here. If you unsubscribe, please note you will no longer receive emails about how to participate in the program.

Thanks,

The Fitbit Care Team


Then right behind that, I get this one! A collaboration with the enemy.....
The last thing I want id the federal Govt knowing my every move! 


I'm writing today to let you know that Fitbit is now officially part of Google. It's an incredibly exciting moment for us as a company and for our Fitbit community of users around the globe.

When Eric and I founded Fitbit 13 years ago, we did so with a simple, but bold idea: to make everyone in the world healthier. Since shipping the original Fitbit tracker in 2009 to now having sold more than 120 million devices in over 100 countries, this mission has never wavered. Instead, millions of you joined that mission, and made Fitbit a movement that transformed lives. In some cases, we heard from our users that we even helped save lives. Together, we've taken 275 trillion steps and logged over 15 billion hours of sleep.

This is just the beginning because becoming part of the Google family means we can do even more to inspire and motivate you on your journey to better health. We'll be able to innovate faster, provide more choices, and make even better products to support your health and wellness needs. On our own, we pushed the bounds of what was possible from the wrist, pioneering step, heart rate, sleep and stress tracking. With access to Google's incredible resources, knowledge and global platform, the possibilities are truly limitless.

I have no doubt that this acquisition will create so many opportunities. But I also want you to know that many of the things you know and love about Fitbit will remain the same. We'll stay committed to doing what's right, to putting your health and wellness at the center of everything we do and to offering a no-one-size-fits-all approach with choices that work across both Android and iOS.

The trust of our users will continue to be paramount, and we will maintain strong data privacy and security protections, giving you control of your data and staying transparent about what we collect and why. Google will continue to protect Fitbit users' privacy and has made a series of binding commitments with global regulators, confirming that Fitbit users' health and wellness data won't be used for Google ads and this data will be kept separate from other Google ad data. Google also affirmed it will continue to allow Fitbit users to choose to connect to third party services. That means you'll still be able to connect your favorite health and wellness apps to your Fitbit account. These and other commitments by Google reinforce why Google is an ideal partner for Fitbit who will continue to put our users first and help further our mission to make everyone in the world healthier.

Thank you for letting us be part of your lives and your health journey.

Sincerely,

James Park
CEO, President & Co-Founder