A New York man filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple on Dec. 24, alleging that the Apple Watch's blood oximeter has a "racial bias" against people with darker pores and skin tones.
The Blood Oxygen app is available on Apple Watch Series 6 and newer and can "measure the oxygen level of your blood on-demand directly out of your wrist, offering you with insights into your overall wellness," Apple explains.
New York resident Alex Morales alleges that he bought an Apple Watch between 2020 and 2021, and was conscious that the watch "purported to measure blood oxygen ranges and he believed it did this with out regard to pores and skin tone," in accordance to the lawsuit, which was filed within the Southern District of New York.
The lawsuit additional alleges that in the coronavirus pandemic, researchers "confirmed the clinical significance of racial bias of pulse oximetry" utilizing patients' records.
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"For decades, there have been reports that such devices were considerably much less correct in measuring blood oxygen ranges based on pores and skin color," the lawsuit reads.
"The 'real world significance' of this bias lay unaddressed till the center of the Coronavirus pandemic, which converged with a greater consciousness of structural racism which exists in lots of aspects of society."
Apple didn't instantly reply to a request for touch upon Monday. The tech firm notes on its web site that the Blood Oxygen app is "only designed for general health and wellness purposes."
"Blood Oxygen app measurements are not intended for medical use, together with self-diagnosis or session with a doctor," Apple writes.
