Is the Apple Watch racist? Complaint accuses watch of ‘racial bias’

The Apple Watch is accused of having… racist prejudices. In one complaint, a user points to the unreliability of the blood oxygen sensor on darker skin tones.

A New Yorker, named Alex Morales, just filed a lawsuit against Apple for consumer fraud. In the complaint, filed on December 24 in court, he explains that he bought an Apple Watch between 2020 and 2021. Among the reasons for this choice is the oximeter.

An inaccurate oximeter

Integrated since the Apple Watch Series 6, this sensor is able to measure oxygen saturation (SPO2) in the wearer’s blood. Thanks to LEDs located under the case, the watch projects light beams on the wrist, illuminating the blood vessels. Data is collected and analyzed, which allows the Apple Watch to determine the level of oxygen in the user’s blood. A normal rate is usually between 95 and 100%.

According to Alex Morales, the function is not not precise enough on darker skin tones. Dark-skinned users therefore get potentially erroneous readings. When purchasing, however, the complainant believed that the connected watch measures oxygen saturation “ regardless of skin tone “.

www.01net.com