3.8 - Mobile, wearable and implanted technologies

Mobile technologies and affected groups

Mobile technology lets people communicate, access services and process data while away from a fixed workplace.

A delivery worker can receive a route change immediately and a customer can see an estimated arrival. This may reduce wasted journeys and improve service. A person with limited mobility can access information or contact others without travelling to an office. However, people unable to afford a suitable device or connection may lose access when an organisation provides only a mobile service. Accessibility also depends on interface design and alternative routes.

A mobile device can record location, contacts and activity. A delivery company may need the worker's location during a delivery to coordinate jobs. Collecting it throughout the worker's private time creates a different privacy impact. Ethical questions include whether monitoring is proportionate and whether the worker can make a meaningful choice. Legal questions include whether data is handled lawfully and whether people are informed as required. Losing an unlocked phone may expose both personal and workplace records, so device authentication and appropriate account controls matter.

Mobile use can distract a person from another task. An organisation should consider where use is appropriate and how its expectations affect workers. The benefit of instant communication does not mean a worker should always be reachable outside working hours.

Environmental effects include materials and energy used in manufacture, charging and network infrastructure. Frequent replacement creates electronic waste; repair, longer useful life and suitable recycling can reduce it. Reduced travel or paper use can be beneficial, but the overall outcome depends on actual behaviour rather than the label “digital”.

Wearable technologies and computer-based implants

A device close to or inside the body can gather useful information while making privacy and reliability especially significant.

Wearable technology is worn on the body, such as a fitness tracker or smart watch. A tracker can show activity patterns and help a user monitor a personal goal. In a workplace, a wearable could help locate staff in an emergency. However, activity and location records can reveal routines and health-related information. Sharing them with an employer or insurer can create ethical concerns about pressure, unfair decisions or a purpose the user did not expect. Lawful data handling and appropriate security remain relevant even if the wearer initially agrees to use the device.

Computer-based implants contain computing technology placed inside the body. For example, a programmable implanted device may monitor a condition or support a bodily function. Its computing system can provide a benefit that an external device cannot deliver in the same way. A failure or unauthorised interference may have a serious consequence because the person depends directly on its operation. Updating, maintaining and replacing an implant can also be harder than replacing a wrist-worn device.