#Apple: We need to lock down devices against #competition to protect user #privacy!
Researchers: The #AppleWatch collects vast amounts of intimate #health and #fitness data. Users have little choice regarding how this data is processed. We publicly #reverseengineer the watch's wireless protocols and discovered multiple #security issues. We break out of Apple's #WalledGarden demonstrating practical #interoperability with enhanced privacy controls and data autonomy."

WatchWitch: Interoperability, Privacy, and Autonomy for the Apple Watch
Smartwatches such as the Apple Watch collect vast amounts of intimate health and fitness data as we wear them. Users have little choice regarding how this data is processed: The Apple Watch can only be used with Apple's iPhones, using their software and their cloud services. We are the first to publicly reverse-engineer the watch's wireless protocols, which led to discovering multiple security issues in Apple's proprietary implementation. With WatchWitch, our custom Android reimplementation, we break out of Apple's walled garden -- demonstrating practical interoperability with enhanced privacy controls and data autonomy. We thus pave the way for more consumer choice in the smartwatch ecosystem, offering users more control over their devices.