(NewsNation) — A Finnish tech company that makes smart rings for tracking health and wellness metrics says it’s not sharing civilian customer data with the United States government or a third party through a project with the Department of Defense.
In a recent news release, Oura announced it would build a plant in Fort Worth, Texas, to support its defense sector work. The company said it has worked in that sector since 2019, “deploying tens of thousands of rings in support of the DoD’s efforts to enhance human performance across all branches of the armed services.”
A PR nightmare ensued. Online backlash included allegations that Oura is working with software defense contractor Palantir and claims that Oura’s civilian data would be compromised. In protest, some social media content creators said they were getting rid of their rings.
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What do Oura rings do?
Oura rings measure heart rate and heart rate variability, body temperature and blood oxygen, among other metrics. They start at $299 and require a $6 monthly membership to access health insights, after a free first month.
Is Oura selling data, working with Palantir?
Oura says it doesn’t sell or share personal data to a third party without a customer’s “express consent.” CEO Tom Hale said in a TikTok that Oura uses Palantir software FedStart for some government business, but stresses that its sales to consumers are a separate matter.
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“Your personal data never touches any government system,” Hale said in the video. “Nobody from Palantir or the government has access to your data — full stop.”
Did Oura put its competitors out of business?
A portion of the online criticism stems from some consumers’ negative feelings about Oura working with the U.S. military. Others accuse Oura of being heavy-handed with its competitors.
Oura accused international competitors of infringing on its patent and took legal action. Under an International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling, two of them can no longer sell products in the U.S.
