Are your favourite fitness apps spying on you? Computer security expert explains

Relebogile Mabotja speaks to Anna Collard, the SVP of Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa, about fitness apps' growing popularity. 

In today’s tech-driven world, fitness apps have become a go-to tool for exercise enthusiasts to track workouts, monitor fitness goals, and stay motivated.

But while they offer great benefits for staying on top of our wellness targets, users often overlook a hidden side - privacy risks.

Collard says in addition to tracking our locations, these apps pose other risks too:

"Something that I think many of us don't realise is that they, in addition to location, on average, collect about 14 data points per user."

Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy and Evangelist - KnowBe4 Africa

Data points are individual pieces of information collected by apps about a user's activity.

Things like the time spent on a specific screen, the number of clicks on a button, and user demographics.

Collard says very few users read through the terms and conditions and privacy policies of their various applications.

"A lot of the time it's just too cumbersome to look at the privacy policies of those contracts in detail."

Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy and Evangelist - KnowBe4 Africa

And it's not just the app that can access your user information and activity.

Some apps have privacy policies that allow them to share your data with third parties, so your information could end up in the hands of companies you’ve never heard of.

"If the fitness app has gotten your consent to share your behaviour data with insurance companies, for example, they could use that to profile you."

Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy and Evangelist - KnowBe4 Africa

Collard says as laborious as it may be, it’s essential to read the app's fine print.

"My rule of thumb is, if something is free, you're paying for it somehow and it could be your data that they're sharing with others."

Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy and Evangelist - KnowBe4 Africa

To hear Collard's top tips for protecting your privacy while using fitness apps, scroll up to the audio player above.

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