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Personal Data Commodification

Meaning

Personal Data Commodification is the economic process by which an individual’s physiological, behavioral, and health metrics, often collected passively by consumer-grade wellness technology, are transformed into a marketable asset or commodity. This data, including sensitive hormonal or sleep patterns, is aggregated, anonymized, and sold or traded to third parties, such as advertisers, researchers, or insurance companies, without direct financial compensation or often explicit, informed consent from the user. This practice raises significant ethical and privacy concerns in the digital health space.