Ever since RFK Jr. took charge as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, he has been under fire for his “out of the box” plans and suggestions. He has spoken extensively against vaccines that, in turn, caused measles outbreaks in the southern states of the country.
He then proposed the creation of a nationwide autism registry. He has earlier stated that there is an Autism Epidemic in the country.
Now RFK is back with another bizarre idea. Recently, there was a House subcommittee hearing on the HHS budget. During this Health Secretary RFK Jr. offered an ambitious plan intended at changing personal health. However, his plan poses severe threats to privacy and ethics. RFK Jr. has suggested making a federal mandate for all Americans to wear health tracking devices.
RFK suggested these devices would be Fitbits or Apple watches. They will keep track of people’s meal intake, sugar levels, cholesterol levels, etc. According to the plan, these devices would consolidate the data and give a national average. This would help track the eating habits of the citizens.
RFK Jr wants everyone to wear a tracker within 4 years so they can monitor everything you do. This is the big government republicans fear. pic.twitter.com/37ka5IKBTn
— James Tate (@JamesTate121) June 25, 2025
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett has severely opposed the concept. It was during a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing. She has cited great concern about mandating wearables based on health data. She suggested that forcing people to use government-recommended devices would undermine personal choice and set a dangerous precedent.
“This isn’t just about gadgets,” Crockett explained. “It’s about whether citizens are forced into surveillance in the name of health.”
🔥🔥RFK Shocking Betrayal – Pushes Mass Bio-Surveillance For Big Tech Through Wearables. With Special Guest Doc Malik🔥🔥 https://t.co/LPtPa72ktm
— X America News (@XAmericaNews) June 25, 2025
Kennedy announced the “Making America Healthy Again” (MAHA) effort during the campaign, and the initial states went into government formation. This included “one of the biggest advertising campaigns in HHS history” to promote wearables. These gadgets include smartwatches, glucose monitoring patches, rings, and more. RFK Jr. wants every American to wear one of these gadgets by 2029.
He stressed their potential to offer real-time indicators (heart rate, glucose, sleep). He claimed that it would permit consumers to proactively control illnesses like obesity and diabetes and thus make relying on pricey drugs like Ozempic less likely.
However, the critics of the idea are concerned about how to acquire data. They worry how this data may be utilized, shared, or misused. Garmin and Fitbit already exchange data with third parties, including insurers. These practices already cause concerns about the NIH accessing sensitive information.
RFK Jr. just proposed Americans wear health-tracking devices to “prevent disease.” But where will that data go?
➡️ Most wearables send your private data to the cloud
➡️ That info can be sold, leaked, or subpoenaed
➡️ EMF exposure from 24/7 Bluetooth isn’t risk-free
➡️ And guess…— Heather LeMire (@HeatherLemire1) June 24, 2025
Furthermore, critics cite studies like the one in Vox. According to that, a tech journalist found that six months of intensive health tracking led to worry and obsessive behavior. It also highlights how wearables can often harm rather than benefit.
There are a few serious questions about the plan and its outcome. A few of these are given below:
Fundamental problems with wearables include privacy and consent. Who will have control over the data? How will people opt-in, and is it truly anonymous?
There are some concerns too regarding these wearables that RFK Jr hasn’t answered yet:
- Unintended consequences: Health data may impact insurance prices or be utilized for monitoring.
- Mental health: Over-tracking may cause worry rather than encourage wellness.
- Equity: Not everyone can afford wearables; mandating them may exacerbate health disparities.
However, tech-focused sites seemed to approve of the wearables. According to one such site, the government campaign is more than just marketing. It claims to represent a shift toward technology-driven medical policy.
Health professionals warn against considering wearables as medical instruments without proper control, echoing Vox’s concerns.
