Pampers Joins Huggies in Selling “Smart” Diapers Despite Health Warnings, Privacy and Security Issues

By B.N. Frank

Activist Post reported about Huggies’ “Smart Diapers” in May.  Now Proctor & Gamble has announced they will start selling their own “Smart” diapers in the fall.  Unlike the Huggies line, their diapers will only track pee (not poo) but they will also track babies’ sleep patterns.

The Lumi by Pampers line, which Pampers says has a waitlist ahead of its US launch this fall, includes an activity sensor that secures to a “landing” on the front of a baby’s diaper. It comes with a baby monitor and a 10-day supply of diapers. The sensor works with a corresponding app to log the kid’s pee and identify patterns. Additional packs of Lumi by Pamper diapers will be sold separately. Pricing has not been finalized.

Parents using the Lumi diapers will in theory not have to worry about checking any of that because they’ll get smartphone alerts. The app will display one of three diaper statuses: dry, wet, very wet.

Like anything “Smart”, there are concerns about privacy and security.  Some experts are also saying these diapers could cause more harm than good.  No sh*t, Sherlock:

1. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other health experts have been issuing warnings about kids’ exposure to cell phone and wireless radiation for many years.
2. Earlier this year 250 scientists signed a petition that warns against numerous devices that emit Radio Frequency (RF) Radiation (used in WiFi and Bluetooth)
3. No safe level of wireless radiation exposure that has been determined for children or pregnant women.

“Smart” Diapers are also a great source of “Surveillance Capitalism” for any company who decides to sell customer data to 3^rd parties.

Anyone thinking that “Smart” Diapers smell like legal trouble is right on the money.  Unfortunately, babies with foolish tech-crazed parents are defenseless in the meantime.


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