As our activity trackers collect data on our steps, physical activities, uphill and downhill walks, as well as heart rate, all of this health data goes to encrypted servers of the companies that created them. This is all well and good- we want it safely stored so if our activity trackers or phones are lost or broken, we can retrieve the data when we get their replacements. Without reading the lengthy EULA documents, that's the one thing we know for sure we signed up for- we buy an Apple Watch, we get our data backed up, all is good in the world. On the other hand, Google has patented lenses that can sense the sweetness of your tears (how mean haha) and tell you what your blood sugar level is. Pretty sweet, isn't it? If these ever become a consumer product, or the tech becomes a part of some future multi-function smart lens for health monitoring purposes, it will likely also have software to look at, manage and back up your health data to their encrypted servers. All is well and good again, no?
As it turns out, all may not be that well and good. According to a bgr.com article, Apple has sold around 33 million Apple Watch units since launch. Also, Google's health monitoring lens, if affordable enough, could find its way to millions of eyes around the world. All of this data will be synced with Google and Apple servers, but it won't just sit there for too long. Let's face it- we live in the age where data is a new currency. It is so valuable that I predict smartphones will become free some day real soon, so long as we allow companies to look at lots of data about us, the consumers. It'll be that much valuable to them. Health data is arguably even more valuable than what clothes we like or what music we enjoy, so it'll carry a high price tag. And sure, these companies will not point to whose data is which, in order to protect individual privacy. What it can do, however, is divide this data up by countries, cities, genders, age groups and so on. Seen in this way, health data of millions can be sold to other companies, governments and, of course, other businesses of all shapes and sizes whose revenue ties into our health and lifestyles.
So now we've gone over why Google and Apple are tempted to monetize our health data, and how they could do that. We've also mentioned that, obviously, the main reason to monetize data is to make money. But why, ultimately, is it health that they are interested in? After all, both Google and Apple depend on us straining our eyes, losing our ability to focus and memorize, and get back and shoulder problems due to overuse of their hardware and software. It's like a candy maker championing anti-obesity campaigns. I'm pretty sure that Apple and Google are responsible for higher resting heart rates in the developed world haha. The answer, my dearest readers, is because they are losing ground in other endeavors as well as experiencing resistance from industry watchdogs regarding the effect they have on the consumers. Google is struggling with fake news, censorship issues and outcry against demonetization on its YouTube platform. Its driverless car efforts now have powerful competition coming from all sides. Android tablets are all but dead in the West, Chromebooks are still not a mainstream thing, and most Android flagships look alike and don't do everyday tasks better or faster than 3-5 years old flagships anyways. On the other hand, Apple never got into the ads business, its augmented reality has yet to produce truly amazing games, iPhone X has divided the crowds over the phone's value proposition, iOS is not as stable or hassle-free as it used to be, people build their own Mac computers that function as well as the real thing at a fraction of the cost, and on and on it goes. For both companies, though, the biggest problem is the pushback against long screen times and addictive nature of their products. With less screen time, there will be lass ad revenue for Google and less reason for Apple fans to spend exorbitant sums of money on devices they are supposed to use less anyways. Therefore, Health is such a personal, essential thing to both companies that both see it as a potential lifeline, or a way to hedge their bets in other departments- and we keep giving them exactly what they need to explore that avenue.
But, will they create something truly revolutionary? They can say yes, you gave us your data, so now we can give such and such device to you as a result. The problem is that we already have blood sugar measuring devices, heart rate monitors and so on that didn't require us to give away our health data- FOR FREE! - just so that those products can see the light of day. They ought to come up with something better and worthwhile, and in the near future- lest they further erode consumer confidence.