Fitbit app kind of creepy

[Ash Pole]

Downloaded the Fitbit app and it asked for every bit of personal information imaginable except for my mothers maiden name. Come to find out later that it accesses your Contacts, Location, Identity, Camera, Photos, Microphone and SMS.
For a glorified pedometer it sure wants alot of information.
Question: can all of these permissions be turned off in iOS Settings>Privacy and will the Fitbit still work?

 

[Nermal]

I was a bit surprised by all that when I got one for Christmas last year. I should also note that nowhere on the box does it say that you need to create an account.

I've given it access to the camera only (to scan food barcodes*) and the rest of the functions seem to still work.

*This isn't really worth doing; the database is really sparse and it often asks you to submit the food - and then it's still not listed in the DB several months later.

 

[C DM]

Downloaded the Fitbit app and it asked for every bit of personal information imaginable except for my mothers maiden name. Come to find out later that it accesses your Contacts, Location, Identity, Camera, Photos, Microphone and SMS.
For a glorified pedometer it sure wants alot of information.
Question: can all of these permissions be turned off in iOS Settings>Privacy and will the Fitbit still work?

In what contexts does it ask you for those permissions? That would likely tell you what might not work if those permissions aren't granted or revoked if they were previously granted. And what are Identity and SMS permissions? I can't really say I've come across those before in iOS.

 

[WordsmithMR]

That's bizarre. O.O does it automatically ask for those permissions at start up? Or only when you go to do certain things for the first time, such as scan a bar code for food or share you step count via SMS?

 

[Ash Pole]

I'm okay with Fitbit knowing my height, weight, age, sex, name, location, heart rate and IP address....but when it comes to uploading my Contacts to their remote servers is where I have to draw the line.
My Contacts contain business associates, my doctors, family, ex-girlfriends and people I went to high school with 20 years ago. Does Fitbit really need my private contacts to display how many miles I jog each week???

Anyway, I've deleted the app which pretty much makes the Fitbit useless. And I'm returning the $165 Charge 2 back to Best Buy this morning....problem solved.

 

[C DM]

I'm okay with Fitbit knowing my height, weight, age, sex, name, location, heart rate and IP address....but when it comes to uploading my Contacts to their remote servers is where I have to draw the line.
My Contacts contain business associates, my doctors, family, ex-girlfriends and people I went to high school with 20 years ago. Does Fitbit really need my private contacts to display how many miles I jog each week???

Anyway, I've deleted the app which pretty much makes the Fitbit useless. And I'm returning the $165 Charge 2 back to Best Buy this morning....problem solved.

You don't have to grant permissions to things you don't want to.