Step counts, heart rate, sleep patterns, GPS routes, weight: modern fitness tools collect a lot of information about us. Much of it is genuinely useful for spotting trends, but it is also personal. This page looks at how to think about the privacy of your fitness data, and explains briefly how Burn Clean Project handles the little information we receive. It is general information, not legal advice.
What fitness tools may collect
- Activity data such as steps, distance, workouts and active minutes.
- Body data such as heart rate, weight or sleep, depending on the device.
- Location data from GPS when you record a walk, run or ride.
- Account details such as your name, email, age and contacts if you connect them.
Questions worth asking
- Who can see my activity? Many apps share workouts publicly or with "friends" by default. Check your visibility settings.
- Does my route reveal my home? A run that always starts at your front door can show where you live. Some apps let you hide the start and end of a route; otherwise, consider starting your recording a little way from home.
- Who else gets the data? Read the app's privacy policy for whether information is shared with partners or advertisers, and whether you can opt out.
- Can I download or delete it? Good services let you export your data and close your account.
- Which permissions does it really need? A step counter may not need your contacts or microphone.
Practical habits
- Review privacy settings when you first set up an app and again after major updates.
- Use a strong, unique password and turn on two-step sign-in where it is offered.
- Think before posting workouts in real time, especially when you're out alone on a trail.
- Remove old apps and connected services you no longer use.
For more on how trackers work and how much weight to give their numbers, see Fitness Trackers Explained.
How Burn Clean Project handles your information
Burn Clean Project is an independent journal. We don't sell products, run a fitness app or offer coaching, so we don't ask for health information and we don't want it. Please don't send sensitive health details when you write to us.
If you give us your email address, for example through the newsletter sign-up or by writing to us, we use it only to reply to you or to send what you asked for, and we don't sell it. You can ask us to stop emailing you or to remove your address at any time.
Questions about privacy on this site can be sent to hello@burncleanproject.org. You can also visit our contact page or read more about us.