Lifestyle apps ‘can be mined for data’

Lifestyle and wellbeing apps such as those that record sleeping patterns and smoking habits may be mined by third parties for information that could be used to the detriment of the consumer, prompting doctors to call for greater data protection.

Members of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) passed a motion at their AGM last night calling on the Data Protection Commissioner to inform both users and doctors that some lifestyle apps may reveal sensitive information about the health of an individual and to ensure that data privacy is strictly protected.

Dr Neil Brennan, outgoing chairman of the IMO’s international affairs committee, said doctors in medical organisations across Europe are concerned that sensitive information is ending up in the hands of commercial operators such as health insurance and life assurance companies without the permission of the individual to whom it pertains.

While medical apps are governed by regulation, lifestyle apps are not.

“Our concern relates to lifestyle apps that people download, that do not fall within the definition of a medical app in legal terms, but which can be used to extract information, for example about heart rate, blood pressure, exercise,” said Dr Brennan.

“If you gather information on your dietary intake, that information goes to the people who run the app and they may sell it on to a commercial operator who then targets you with their products.

“Or it may be mined by a third party and used against the consumer. People are not always aware when they sign the permissions that go with these apps that they may actually be giving away private information.”

Dr Brennan, a retired respiratory physician, formerly of Mercy University Hospital, said their concerns need to be addressed at EU level, by the Data Protection Commissioner.

A separate motion called on the transport and environment ministers to fully resource the provision and maintenance of public sports facilities, particularly swimming pools, in the interest of health and water safety.

Dr Patrick O’Sullivan, former director of public health in the north-east, said it is “about investing in the health of the nation”. He said sports facilities had been “an easy target” during the recession — that funding cuts were always targeted at participatory sport rather than elite athletes.

“I mean it’s good to be winning medals and going to the Olympics but it shouldn’t be to the detriment of participatory sport,” he said, adding that cutting funding from public facilities flies in the face of the obesity strategy.

Cork-based community health doctor Bridin Cannon said public facilities had been allowed to run down in many areas at a time when the nation should be fostering a culture of exercise.

Galway GP Henry Finnegan said local authorities were not interested in maintaining swimming pools.

The motion was passed.

The AGM continues today with Health Minister Leo Varadkar due to attend.