| Summary: | The number of people using connected objects and/or mobile applications as part of their physical activity is growing. This article analyzes the way these trackers and apps are presented by their producers, with a focus on two pioneers (Fitbit and Strava). Their revenue models have a major influence: companies need to optimize the sale of wearables, the number of apps downloads, and data collection, while giving the impression that the user is the main, or even the sole beneficiary. The storytelling at work thus leads to over-emphasizing the promises of these devices, while obscuring the business models that are partly dependent on the secondary exploitation of data. The promises in question are shaped to fit the strategic interests of the application publishers.
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