Before you buy a smartwatch or smart ring, consider what you're giving up

ZDNET outlines privacy and security risks from wearables, noting HIPAA generally does not cover data collected by consumer devices and that the U.S. lacks comprehensive federal health-data protections. The article cites a 2025 study ranking vendors by privacy practices, explains how business models (free vs. paid) affect data monetization, and gives practical consumer recommendations—read privacy policies, delete unused device data, audit connected services, and be cautious when sharing wearable data with AI tools.