Mum's shock after son, 12, receives rude request on Fitbit

An Aussie mum has shared her shock after receiving a rude request via the new Fitbit device she had purchased for her 12-year-old son.

The Adelaide mother is one of a host of users - both adults and children - who have reported receiving similar spam friend requests, some featuring nude images, forcing the popular smart watch brand to issue an apology.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told 7News she had bought the Fitbit Ace 2 for her son’s birthday, and followed the instructions to set up the wristband and an account using her email address, also installing an app on her phone.

It was via email that she then received the “shocking” friend request from an account called Amy J, with a profile picture featuring a woman’s naked breasts.

“Is any modern technology safe for our kids? It’s a child’s Fitbit for goodness’ sake,” the mother said.

She wasn’t the only one either, according to 7News, a number of other parents raised similar concerns.

And another Fitbit user, aged 29, who had only recently set up an account, told Yahoo Lifestyle he was also shocked to received a request via email featuring a nude image.

The email said: “Christy B. wants to get more active with you on Fitbit” and featured a profile image of a naked woman.

In a statement to Yahoo Lifestyle, a spokesperson for the company apologised to anyone who had received the requests.

“We are aware that users have reported receiving spam friend requests to both adult and child accounts and have implemented a fix to mitigate the issue,” the statement said.

“It’s important to note that any friend requests sent to a child are routed to the parent for review and approval and that children do not receive those requests.

“We apologise to anyone who received these requests, and as part of our fix we have put in place additional controls to protect against similar issues in the future.”

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