A Finnish technology firm that produces smart rings for health and wellness tracking has stated it does not share civilian customer data with the US government or any third party as part of its collaboration with the Department of Defense.

Oura recently announced plans to establish a manufacturing plant in Fort Worth, Texas, to support its defense-related initiatives. The company has been active in this sector since 2019, providing tens of thousands of rings to assist the DoD in enhancing human performance across various military branches.

The announcement led to a PR crisis, with online backlash including accusations of Oura collaborating with software defense contractor Palantir and concerns about the potential compromise of civilian data. In response, some social media influencers declared they were discarding their rings.

What do Oura rings do?

Oura rings track metrics like heart rate, heart rate variability, body temperature, and blood oxygen. They are priced starting at $299, with a $6 monthly subscription needed to access health insights after a complimentary first month.

Is Oura selling data, working with Palantir?

According to Oura, customer data is not sold or shared with third parties without explicit consent. CEO Tom Hale clarified on TikTok that while Oura uses Palantir’s FedStart software for certain government contracts, its consumer sales are entirely independent of this arrangement.

“Your personal data never interacts with any government system,” Hale emphasized in the video. “There is no access to your data by Palantir or the government at any time.”

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.