Recently, U.S. Senator Rick Scott, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Senator Dave McCormick sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, alleging that Chinese-linked wearable health devices pose data privacy risks and raise national security concerns. The senators urged the FCC to investigate such products and consider whether they should be added to the agency's Covered List of prohibited equipment.

Notably, the lawmakers' concerns extend beyond smartwatches, glucose monitors and hearing aids produced by Chinese brands. The letter also targets devices made in other countries that rely on Chinese cellular Internet of Things communication modules.

By overstretching the concept of national security, the senators have launched a highly targeted attack on China's wearable health technology sector. The timing appears carefully calculated. As they acknowledged in the letter, "while many Chinese health wearable devices are not yet widely available in the United States, many Chinese companies are expected to submit competitive bidding applications to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, risking a flood of U.S.-bound products in the coming years."

Chinese companies already play a major role in the global wearable device industry. According to technology market research firm Omdia, global wearable device shipments exceeded 200 million units in 2025. Chinese tech giant Xiaomi ranked first worldwide with an 18 percent market share, while Huawei placed third with 16 percent.

Chinese devices are also beginning to gain traction in the U.S. market. The Amazfit Active 2 smartwatch, owned by Chinese company Zepp Health, has received positive reviews from American technology media outlets for its fitness-focused features. Xiaomi's fitness bands have also attracted growing attention on major e-commerce platforms because of their affordability and functionality.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relaxed regulatory requirements for low-risk wearable health devices. Although the intention was to encourage innovation among U.S. companies, it has also facilitated the entry of related Chinese products into the U.S. market.

The campaign against Chinese wearable devices is particularly puzzling given the growing emphasis in the U.S. on preventive healthcare and chronic disease management. In recent years, U.S. policymakers and public health advocates have increasingly promoted wearable health technologies to encourage healthier lifestyles and improve long-term health outcomes.

Yet affordability remains one of the biggest barriers to adoption, especially among lower-income groups and older adults. Research published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research in 2024 found that wearable device usage in the U.S. declines significantly as income levels decrease.

This is precisely where Chinese products can make a meaningful contribution. Many Chinese wearable health devices are priced at a fraction of their U.S. counterparts, making advanced health-monitoring tools more accessible to consumers with limited incomes. Their availability could help narrow the "digital health divide" and enable more Americans to benefit from modern healthcare technologies.

As for the data privacy and security risks mentioned in the senators' letter, they are entirely fabricated and sensationalized. In recent years, Chinese wearable health devices have sold well around the world, and there has never been a serious data privacy issue with them. However, such problems have occurred repeatedly with similar American products.

For example, in 2025, Apple paid 95 million USD to settle a proposed class action lawsuit after its built-in AI voice assistant Siri was accidentally activated on devices including Apple Watch and secretly recorded user conversations. In 2022, regulators from 40 U.S. states reached a 391.5 million USD settlement with Google over allegations that its devices continued to track location data even after users turned off location settings.

Senators who focus specifically on aging issues should recognize that Chinese wearable health devices can provide cost-effective health services to low-income groups in the U.S., especially the elderly, instead of adopting a blanket opposition to Chinese technology. Suppressing and blocking Chinese wearable health devices will likely end up hurting ordinary American citizens.