Free Republic

THE BREAKDOWN: U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Dave McCormick have requested an FCC investigation into security risks linked to Chinese-manufactured health wearables and fitness trackers. The lawmakers warn that Chinese cybersecurity laws could allow Beijing to access sensitive biometric data collected from American consumers, especially senior citizens. The FCC has been asked to brief the Senate Aging Committee and consider banning these devices from the U.S. market by July 15, 2026. Two U.S. senators are pushing federal regulators to investigate whether popular fitness trackers, smartwatches, and medical devices are leaking sensitive health data to the Chinese government. Senate Aging Committee...

Millions of Americans are embracing health and fitness tracking devices — such as Fitbit and the new Apple Watch — to boost their health and wellness. But a new study suggests a potential downside of the new med-tech devices: Employers may begin to require them for some workers to hold down rising healthcare costs. MarketWatch reports that millions of the devices are expected to be introduced into the workplace by 2018 as employers adopt incentivized wellness programs to tackle rising health care costs, according to a study by Verizon Enterprise Solutions. “Tracker information will become part of your health record,”...