So that’s how Google is going to make money from your Fitbit data

I’ve been a dedicated Fitbit fan for almost five years now. Ever since the company bought my beloved Pebble, I’ve been using some of the best Fitbit wearables to track my workout, steps, and sleep. One of the things I love most about the Fitbit experience is the ability to jump back in time to see how my activity, weight, or stats have changed over time, but as a recent email which I received from the company is an indication that freewheeling ability to look at my own historical fitness data may be about to disappear.

According to a customer survey recently emailed by Fitbit, it appears that Google has found a way to monetize the Fitbit data of users who adhere to its commitment to regulators not to use this data for advertising purposes. So how are they going to do that? Our favorite “s” words – subscriptions!

Personally, I’m still very excited about the prospect of new Fitbit hardware led by Google, and can’t wait to see what the first Google / Fitbit smartwatch will look like. In recent weeks and months, we’ve already started to see useful features like the Google Assistant coming to the Versa 3 and Sense watches, and you can even view your Fitbit sleep data on Google Assistant smart screens. The company is now also showcasing its Fitbit products in the Google Store.

According to Rick Osterloh, Google’s chief of hardware, one of the tent pole promises Google made to regulators when it agreed to acquire Fitbit was that the deal would be about “ devices, not data, ” and that the health and wellness data of consumers not ‘used for Google ads. “I hope Google keeps these promises, but the simple fact is that no matter how many efforts it makes on hardware, Google is primarily a software company. Actually, scratch it, Google is a data company. So given that, you weren’t really expecting Google not to explore ways to monetize his new wealth of health and wellness data, right?

According to the aforementioned survey, it appears that Google is testing subscription waters and exploring additional tiers and options for the Fitbit Premium service. Fitbit Premium currently provides subscribers with in-depth health metrics and analytics, as well as guidance on how to interpret and act on that data. There are also guided meditation, wellness and fitness programs and the option to pay a little more for personalized training plans.

Fitbit Premium faces stiff competition from Apple and Peleton, so it makes sense that Google wants to get more out of it.

When one of the new tiers is implemented, Fitbit customers can be offered cheaper and more premium versions of Fitbit Premium, with fewer or more options available for the price differences. That’s all well and good, but what I’m worried about is the cheapest option the survey asked about. This would give users access to their lifetime historical fitness data, something we already have for free and have had since the first Fitbit trackers came out.

To be clear, there would still be a “free” tier that would provide limited historical insights (maybe for a month or more). However, unless you paid at least for the base tier, you will no longer be able to see how much you slept that week in April 2018 or look at your run from that vacation two years ago.

On some level, I fully understand what Google / Fitbit is trying to do with this survey. They want to gauge how valuable these services are to their fans – and it makes sense. Many sustainable apps and services have transitioned to some form of subscription model, and despite all that Fitbit offers, I’m sure many will see the value in paying for those services. However, it would really suck like Google putting that lifetime data behind a paywall, especially for those of us who have many years of data to show for our loyalty.

Google / Fitbit is at risk of losing old loyalists, like me.

If this entry-level Fitbit Premium does come out, I hope Google would grandfather older users, or make a long introductory offer like Fitbit did for those buying an Inspire 2, Versa 3, or Sense. Otherwise, I suspect it will lose a lot of its loyal fan base, including probably myself. After all, there are a ton of great smartwatches and fitness trackers to choose from!

A whole range of possibilities

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