My credit union's new app update started pulling in data from my phone's fitness tracker last month.

I logged in to check my balance and saw a new 'financial wellness' section that had my daily step count and sleep hours, which it apparently got from linking with my Google Fit data without a clear separate permission. I turned off the app's access to my health data in my phone settings, but it makes you wonder how much of this cross-app data sharing is happening under the hood. Has anyone else had a financial service try to merge health data like this?

4 comments

4 Comments

foster.tessa2mo ago

My bank's wellness tab actually helped me save on gym memberships.

samk771mo ago

Oh perfect, my bank can now gently shame me for taking a cab. Next they'll send a note saying my savings would grow faster if I skipped coffee and just stared at a wall for fun. I love when my financial advice comes with a side of guilt from a company that probably charges a fee if I breathe too hard. Really feels like they're helping me be my best, slightly poorer self.

nancyg142mo ago

Actually seems like a pretty logical step forward. My bank's app has a similar wellness section that uses my phone's location to guess if I drove or walked to a store after a purchase. It's just trying to give a fuller picture of your habits. The linking without clear permission is a problem, but the data merging itself can be useful. It could help spot fraud or even nudge you to save the money you'd spend on a cab by walking instead.

ivan_murphy802mo ago

Sure, it can spot fraud, but that's a pretty thin excuse for constant habit tracking. Banks already have fraud alerts without needing to know if I walked to the grocery store. Mostly it just feels like they're building a creepy profile to sell me more stuff or judge my spending. The "nudge" to walk instead of cab is just scolding you with your own data.