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Oura Ring announces partnership with the US Department of Defense
Oura Ring has announced a partnership with the US Department of Defense (DoD), and many online users are not happy about it. The announcement has sparked immediate criticism across social platforms, with concerns ranging from misinformation about data privacy to broader moral objections regarding the company’s willingness to collaborate with the US military.
Erroneous speculations and clarifications
Some users have speculated – wrongly – that personal health data from consumer rings from Oura were being shared with the military. Others have focused less on privacy and more on principle: questioning whether they want to support a company that collaborates with the Department of Defense at all.
To clarify, Oura’s work with the US military is not new. Tom Hale, CEO of Oura, described their relationship with the DoD as “long-standing” in a press release last week.
Partnership with Palantir and final considerations
Online users have also expressed concern about Oura’s connection with Palantir, a software company that collaborates with intelligence agencies and defense departments and has a significant presence in Israel and the US.
Despite these clarifications, the announcement has led some customers to reconsider their relationship with the brand. While consumer data from Oura appears to be safe from military use, the company’s willingness to align with defense and intelligence contractors is now part of the equation for users deciding whether to continue wearing the ring.
The question now is whether users are comfortable supporting a technology company that openly collaborates with the US military, regardless of how securely their data is managed.
