User accuses Apple of racial discrimination over pulse oximeter in Apple Watch

A man in the U.S. filed a class action lawsuit against Apple. He accuses the manufacturer and the blood oxygen sensor in the Apple Watch of racial discrimination.

Details

The man bought an Apple Watch between 2020 and 2021. He was convinced that the blood oxygen measurement was independent of skin color, but is now convinced that the pulse oximeter doesn't work as correctly when interacting with his darker skin.

""For decades, there have been reports that such devices were significantly less accurate in measuring blood oxygen levels based on skin color. The 'real world significance' of this bias lay unaddressed until the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, which converged with a greater awareness of structural racism which exists in many aspects of society"," the user assured.

He also stated that some researchers have confirmed the clinical significance of racial bias in pulse oximetry using patient records taken during and before the pandemic. Investigating the veracity of these claims will be left to attorneys and the courts.

The man filed the lawsuit Dec. 24 on behalf of all New York consumers who bought the Apple Watch, as well as residents of Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming under those states' consumer fraud laws.

But the interesting thing is that his accusations are not baseless. In 2015, users complained that black tattoos on their skin were interfering with the heart rate monitor on the Apple Watch and causing incorrect readings. And Apple itself confirmed this: the ink, pattern and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings. But the pulse oximeter wasn't yet on the company's gadgets at the time - it showed up on the Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020.

Source: Appleinsider