Fitness vs. Privacy??? Why My Treadmill Turned Into a Cybersecurity Lesson

Fitness vs. Privacy??? Why My Treadmill Turned Into a Cybersecurity Lesson

When I bought my new treadmill, I was excited. It arrived in working order, looked great, and promised to help me meet my health goals. But that excitement quickly turned to concern when I realized the machine would not work unless I downloaded an app that required access to my phone calls.

Yes, I said MY PHONE CALLS! 

My Cybersecurity brain immediately lit up with red flags. Why would a treadmill need to know who I’m calling or when? Why should something I paid for be locked behind permissions that compromise my privacy?

I reached out to customer support multiple times, asking if there was any way to bypass the app and just use the treadmill manually.

No Bluetooth, no Wi-Fi, no creepy app.

Every time, I was told “no” that I must use the app and connect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to “unlock” the machine. But something felt off. So I dug deeper.

After researching online, I found that there is, in fact, a way to use the treadmill without the app: a specific sequence punched into the handheld remote enables a manual mode. I asked support directly about this possibility and they still wouldn’t admit it exists. That, to me, is not just misleading, it’s manipulative.

This experience made me reflect on the growing trend of health and fitness devices that are conditioning us to give up unnecessary amounts of data just to use basic functions. It’s not just this treadmill.

Many smart scales, fitness trackers, and workout mirrors collect everything from location data to biometrics and sell that data to third parties, often without our clear, informed consent. With some even sharing sensitive health data with advertisers and data brokers without properly disclosing it.

As digital citizens, we have to stay vigilant.

We must question what we’re being asked to give up in exchange for convenience. We must seek clarity, even if companies try to withhold it. And we must fight to keep ownership over our data, our devices, and our decisions.

When a product demands access to parts of your life that have nothing to do with its function, you have every right to push back. You are not being difficult! You’re being cyber smart.

If this can happen with a treadmill, it can happen with anything. So keep asking the hard questions and standing up for your right to own your technology without being owned by it.