Workshop: From Wearables to Data Ecosystems: Redefining Participant Protection in Digital Researchl

When:  May 12, 2026 from 01:00 PM to 02:30 PM (ET)

The growing use of consumer technologies—such as smartphones, wearables, and mobile applications—in human subjects research is reshaping the research landscape and raising new challenges for oversight and participant protection. As digital platforms generate large, interconnected datasets, traditional regulatory frameworks are increasingly strained. This session examines key ethical and regulatory tensions that arise when consumer devices become research tools, including blurred boundaries between everyday technology use and research activities, complex data flows that complicate informed consent, and ongoing uncertainty about distinctions between research-grade and consumer-grade devices.