Apple today addressed privacy concerns in regards to iOS 8’s health and fitness features, which require users to submit medical data.
The discussion came about during Apple’s live event, in which the company discussed HealthKit before revealing a new service, titled ResearchKit, that sees the company focusing upon medical research. Apple’s Jeff Williams explained that ResearchKit, which is open source, is “a software framework made specifically for medical researchers,” which essentially sees users conducting medical research upon themselves. We’re not sure this is the next iOS 8 announcement iPhone 6 owners were looking for, but Apple seems to be putting their full weight behind it, with five apps targeted at some of the world’s deadliest diseases including cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s and breast cancer.
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Each app comes equipped with a selection of tests, and the data from these tests will then be used for medical researchers to examine. However, this inevitably comes with a number of privacy issues, with Apple recognizing this by highlighting a signature field that is required to be filled in by the user. While Apple states that the company will “never see” the data, as has been proven in the past with the likes of the NSA, if someone in authority wants to get more information on you, they’ll find a way to do it.
Fortunately users can decide whether or not they want to take part in ResearchKit, and can opt in and out whenever they choose. Five apps are available to download for your iPhone from the App Store right now, with more set to be revealed in the future.
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