In our modern health aware culture fitness reward apps are becoming very popular since they can motivate people to get up and move. Among the most prominent are Sweatcoin, Paace, and BetterPoints, with each providing distinct incentives for being active. These apps encourage users to increase their daily step totals. On top of that, they provide tangible rewards, such as discounts and exclusive deals, for leading a healthy lifestyle. As users engage with these platforms, they must consider how their data is being utilized and the potential implications.
In fact, Sweatcoin pushes its users to reach an ambitious goal of 12,000 steps per day. In exchange for providing these services, users are rewarded with decentralized digital currency. Users then can invest these coins back into an array of offers found in its in-app marketplace, which features discounts on health-related goods. At the same time, Paace gives users the opportunity to earn points by attending fitness classes at local partner gyms or participating in parkruns. These points can then be redeemed with independent cafes and restaurants, supporting local businesses while further incentivizing a healthy, active lifestyle.
BetterPoints gets to work in a radically different manner, teaming up with local councils to incentivize residents for aforementioned healthy actions like recycling. This app improves community engagement and environmental sustainability, while rewarding users for making healthier lifestyle choices. Along with these benefits come risks related to user privacy and data protection.
Incentives to Move
Sweatcoin has attracted many participants by providing its proprietary digital currency as a reward for incorporating movement into your day-to-day routine. Users are rewarded with coins with each step they take, and they can double their rewards by doing more or watching ads. Premium account holders have the ability to earn 20 times more Sweatcoins.
Paace has taken off, with more than 98,000 downloads and more than 200 partner vendors in quick succession. Users earn points by completing workouts or visiting local participating locations. Once you reach only 2,000 points you can redeem a £3 Decathlon voucher too! Collect just 6,000 points and you’ll get a £10 voucher! This flexibility encourages users to choose transit for any number of activities and it helps keep local businesses thriving.
“I liked the idea of getting people moving. For me, that’s always something to encourage,” – Jack Blackwell
Jack Blackwell, who runs one of the participating cafes, says he loves the traffic they’re getting through the app Paace uses. He talks about how it allows him to bring in new customers while improving the health of his community.
“But it’s also great for customer acquisition. If someone comes in, you’re hoping that customer is finding out about your cafe and coming back. It’s definitely driven traffic,” – Jack Blackwell
Privacy Concerns
Behind the promise of easy rewards lurks the potential for apps to misappropriate user data. Sweatcoin has been previously criticized for gaining access to users’ contacts, photographs, and payment information. This massive data collection is not only unjustifiable but it raises major concerns about privacy and security.
According to Dr. Maryam Mehrnezhad, an expert in data privacy, these apps pose serious risks. She maintains that businesses will tell you they use anonymized data. As it turns out, this data can often be soon re-identified, revealing sensitive information about users’ daily habits.
“While apps claim to use anonymised data, it can often be re-identified to reveal sensitive information about your routines, like where you live and work.” – Dr. Maryam Mehrnezhad
She’s passionate about the importance of this data. It can be used for targeted advertising, or sold to third parties increasing the risk of data being hacked and leaking private health information.
“This data is highly valuable and can be used to create detailed profiles for targeted advertising or other commercial purposes, and it also creates a risk of a data breach, which could expose your health information and personal locations to hackers.” – Dr. Maryam Mehrnezhad
Making Informed Choices
Consumers of fitness reward apps should not have to consider whether the benefits of each app are worth the risks to their data. Dr. Mehrnezhad suggests that individuals should manage app permissions actively by adjusting settings on their devices to limit location tracking.
“One effective way is to adjust app permissions on their device, such as setting location services to ‘Only While Using the App’ to prevent background tracking.” – Dr. Maryam Mehrnezhad
As these apps develop and improve, they should create a positive feedback loop, attracting even more users looking for that extra dose of motivation to keep them moving. At the end of the day, people need to be empowered to take control over their privacy and feel confident in how their data is used.