## Is This Love, Or Surveillance? The “Loyalty Tracker” Smart Ring Raises Ethical Questions
Imagine a future where your commitment is constantly monitored by a wearable device. A future where suspicion, not trust, fuels romantic relationships. This unsettling scenario is edging closer to reality with the concept of the RAW Ring, a smart ring designed to track a partner’s biometric data and potentially expose infidelity.
The RAW Ring, a project from the creators of the RAW dating app, aims to provide real-time insights into a partner’s emotional state. Through continuous biometric tracking, the ring analyzes data like heart rate and body temperature, feeding the information into an AI-powered app. The app then interprets these signals, purportedly revealing moments of arousal or heightened emotional activity, even when you’re not together. The idea is to keep tabs on the other person.
The Verge painted a rather dystopian picture, describing a scenario where a flashing LED on the ring alerts the wearer to suspicious activity, prompting them to delve into AI-generated interpretations of their partner’s physiological responses.
While the RAW Ring is still in the conceptual stage, the very notion has sparked intense debate. Outlets have already labeled it a “dystopian loyalty tracker,” highlighting the potential for misuse and the erosion of trust within relationships.
The RAW dating app already uses the technique of requiring users to upload unfiltered, real-time, dual-camera selfies. It does this to cut down on catfishing and ghosting. RAW CEO Marina Anderson now wants to track people in real time.
The questions surrounding the RAW Ring extend beyond its technical feasibility. Is it ethical to constantly monitor a partner’s biometric data? Could this lead to obsessive behavior and unwarranted suspicion? And what happens to privacy and autonomy within a relationship when every heartbeat is potentially scrutinized?
While proponents might argue that the ring promotes transparency and honesty, critics fear it could foster a climate of paranoia and control. The line between security and surveillance blurs, raising fundamental questions about the nature of trust, privacy, and the future of intimacy in an age of ever-present technology. Whether the RAW Ring ever sees the light of day, the ethical considerations it raises demand serious reflection. It forces us to ask: how much tracking is too much when it comes to love?
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