Technology

Your blood pressure cuff may expose your health data

Published

1 month ago

August 6, 2026

Your blood pressure cuff may expose your health data

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Every morning, you strap on the cuff, press the button and watch the number pop up on your phone. It feels private. It feels like it is just between you and your app. That sense of privacy can be misleading.

Depending on the app and your settings, that reading, along with your glucose numbers, weight and medication schedule, may be stored in the cloud or shared with service providers. FTC cases show that some health apps have also disclosed sensitive information to advertising and analytics companies. Separately, data brokers market health-related profiles that scammers could exploit.

Here’s what may be happening behind the screen of your health app and how to limit the exposure.

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ARE INSURANCE APPS WATCHING YOU?

A home blood pressure monitor can send sensitive health readings to a connected app, where privacy protections may vary. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The app on your phone isn’t your doctor’s office

Here’s the assumption almost everyone makes: “My health data is protected. Isn’t that what HIPAA is for?” Often, no.

HIPAA generally protects health information held by covered healthcare providers, health plans and their business associates. A consumer app you choose independently often falls outside HIPAA. However, an app may come under HIPAA when it handles protected health information on behalf of a covered provider or health plan.

Apps outside HIPAA do not operate without any rules. Many may still fall under the FTC’s Health Breach Notification Rule, state consumer health laws and general protections against unfair or deceptive business practices.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., introduced the Health Information Privacy Reform Act. The proposal would extend HIPAA-like privacy, security and breach-notification standards to some health information held outside the traditional HIPAA system. It would also require plain-language warnings before certain technologies begin generating wellness data that HIPAA does not protect.

As of today, the proposal remains introduced and has not become law. That means the same blood sugar reading can receive different legal protections depending on who holds it and why.

What these apps are actually doing with your data

You would think a company that builds a blood pressure app would only use your numbers to track your blood pressure. Federal regulators have repeatedly found otherwise.

GoodRx agreed to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty to settle FTC allegations that it failed to report unauthorized disclosures of health information to Facebook, Google and other companies. The FTC said GoodRx uploaded identifiers connected to people who had purchased certain heart disease and blood pressure medications so Facebook could target them with ads.
BetterHelp agreed to pay $7.8 million after the FTC alleged that it shared email addresses, IP addresses and answers to personal health questions with Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest and Criteo for advertising. About 800,000 people later received notices that they were eligible for refunds.
Flo Health settled FTC allegations that it shared sensitive health data from millions of users with Facebook, Google and other analytics providers. In a separate class action, Flo agreed to contribute $8 million toward settlements totaling $59.5 million. Google agreed to pay $48 million, and Flurry agreed to pay $3.5 million.
Premom’s developer agreed to pay a total of $200,000 to resolve federal and state allegations involving its privacy practices. The FTC alleged that the fertility app disclosed sensitive health and location information to Google and two China-based analytics companies.

These were not obscure apps built by scammers. They were mainstream health services, and regulators alleged that the sharing happened through ordinary advertising and analytics tools running in the background.

That does not mean every blood pressure app behaves the same way. However, it gives you a strong reason to check what your own app collects, where it stores the information and which companies receive it.

ARE APPLE DEVICES SPYING? WHAT YOUR IPHONE TRACKS

Digital blood pressure systems make tracking easier, but they can also create another path for health data to leave your control. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The data broker connection: Your condition has a price tag

Here’s the part that should genuinely unsettle you. A Duke University researcher contacted 37 data brokers as a prospective buyer. Twenty-six responded, and 11 were willing and able to sell mental health data. Some advertised information tied to depression, anxiety and other conditions, along with demographic details. One broker advertised names and postal addresses connected to specific conditions. Prices ranged from $275 for aggregated counts to annual licensing fees of $75,000 or more.

This problem reaches beyond mental health, as data brokers can collect and sell many forms of health-related information. The FTC has documented data broker categories related to pregnancy, diabetes, high cholesterol and other potentially sensitive health interests.

In a final order issued in December 2025, California’s privacy regulator fined Datamasters $45,000 for failing to register as a data broker. The order said the company bought and resold contact lists tied to sensitive conditions.

Those lists included 435,245 postal addresses associated with Alzheimer’s disease, more than 2.3 million associated with blindness or visual impairment, 133,142 associated with addiction and 857,449 associated with bladder-control issues. California’s enforcement chief warned that reselling lists connected to Alzheimer’s disease could enable targeting that goes far beyond ordinary advertising.

If you want to look up your exposed information online, now is the time. Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web and show how vulnerable you might be: CyberGuy.com.

How scammers use a ‘medically profiled’ list

Put yourself in a scammer’s shoes for a second. Random cold-calling is a numbers game. Most people hang up. However, a list of people associated with diabetes or high blood pressure could help a scammer choose a much more convincing lie, including fake Medicare and healthcare offers.

The ‘free’ diabetic supplies pitch

A caller claims to be from Medicare or a diabetes association and offers free glucose meters or test strips. All they need is your Medicare number “to process the shipment.” Federal health officials have warned about callers impersonating Medicare, Social Security or diabetes organizations while offering free glucose meters, test strips and other supplies. The supplies may never arrive, or someone may fraudulently bill Medicare using your information.

The Medicare Advantage pitch that already knows your conditions

A caller could reference your blood pressure or diabetes like a nurse checking in, then pivot to a plan that supposedly covers exactly what you need. Knowing a real detail about your health does not prove the caller represents Medicare, your doctor or an insurance company.

The supplement and pharmacy pitch

Ads, emails or calls may push treatments or supplements connected to a condition associated with your profile. Their timing may make the offer feel personal, but that does not make the medical claim or the seller legitimate. A scammer does not need to hack your phone to personalize a pitch. Health-related information can come from commercial profiles, public records, online activity, data breaches or other sources. A medically segmented list could help a caller make a fraudulent offer sound far more believable.

‘But I’ve never given my information to a data broker’

You do not have to. That is what makes this so hard to see coming. Your blood pressure app, glucose monitor and smart scale can each add information to a larger profile, depending on the service, its partners and the settings you enable. Data brokers may also compile property records, voter files, online activity and information purchased from other companies. Once information enters this ecosystem, companies may buy, resell, combine and refresh it across data broker and people-search services you have never heard of.

The cuff may look simple, but the information it collects can reveal personal details about your health and medical conditions. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How exposed is your specific device?

Not every app behaves the same way. Some provide stronger privacy controls than others. Features, settings and company practices can change, so review the current privacy notices for every service you use.

Omron Connect, blood pressure

Connected OMRON monitors can transfer readings to the OMRON Connect app through Bluetooth, where you can upload, store and share your heart health history. Data handling may depend on your device, permissions and connected services, so review OMRON’s current privacy notices before syncing.

Dexcom, continuous glucose monitoring

Certain Dexcom products fall under HIPAA when Dexcom or a healthcare provider supplies them as insurance-reimbursable products in the United States. Other Dexcom websites, support programs and services may process information outside that HIPAA-covered context. Dexcom also provides opt-outs for certain data sales, sharing and targeted advertising under applicable state laws.

Withings, smart scales

Withings says it does not share health information with advertising partners. It may share some non-health personal information to deliver tailored advertising, and information can sync with outside apps or partners when you authorize a connection.

Fitbit

Google committed not to use health and wellness information collected from Fitbit devices for Google Ads and to keep that information in a separate data silo. That commitment came through regulatory conditions attached to Google’s Fitbit acquisition, so continue reviewing current Fitbit and Google privacy controls.

Medisafe, medication reminders

If you choose pharmacy or coupon features, Medisafe says your personal information may be disclosed to partner pharmacies or coupon companies. Those companies will then handle the information under their own privacy practices.

Apple Health

Your device encrypts Health information, and iCloud uses end-to-end encryption when you enable the required account protections. In addition, Apple prohibits apps from using HealthKit data for advertising. You decide which outside apps can read or write individual categories of Health information.

The takeaway is that you have more control than you might think, but you need to go into the settings and use it.

Lock it down: Your 20-minute privacy tune-up

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to increasing your privacy when using health apps.

Step 1: Shut off ad tracking at the phone level

iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking, then turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track. Next, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising and turn off Personalized Ads.

Android: Go to Settings > Google > All services > Ads > Ads privacy. From there, you can turn off ad topics, app-suggested ads and ad measurement. Some devices also provide an option to delete the advertising ID. Menu names can vary by phone.

These settings limit certain forms of advertising and cross-app tracking. They do not stop every app from collecting information you enter directly or using other identifiers allowed under its privacy policy.

Step 2: Turn off sharing inside every health app

Open the account or privacy settings in each health app you use. Switch off anything labeled marketing, ad personalization or third-party sharing. Disconnect any linked apps you do not actively use.

Step 3: Look for privacy opt-outs

Check for links labeled “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information,” “Your Privacy Choices” or something similar. Covered businesses must provide these controls under laws such as California’s CCPA when they sell or share personal information as the law defines those terms. Your available rights may depend on where you live. An opt-out can restrict certain data practices, but it does not guarantee that all of your information will remain with the company.

Step 4: Know the red flags before the phone rings

Medicare does not make unsolicited calls offering free medical supplies in exchange for your Medicare or financial information. If a caller references a specific health condition, the detail may have come from a commercial profile, public record, data breach or another source. Do not assume the caller is legitimate simply because they know something about you. Never confirm personal or Medicare information during an unexpected call.

But here’s the problem: You can’t fix what you can’t see

Turning off tracking in your apps can help reduce future collection, but it does not remove information that companies have already gathered, shared or sold. That data may already appear across dozens or even hundreds of broker and people-search sites.

You can submit removal requests yourself, but the process takes time. Each site has its own opt-out steps, and you may need to repeat them because your information can reappear months later.

A reputable data removal service can handle much of that work for you. These services send opt-out requests to data brokers, monitor for reappearing information and submit new removal requests when needed.

No service can erase every trace of your information online, but ongoing removal can reduce how much personal data is available to advertisers, scammers and identity thieves.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Kurt’s key takeaways

Your health app may not receive the same HIPAA protections as your doctor’s office. FTC cases show that some major health platforms disclosed sensitive information to advertising and analytics companies, while data brokers market profiles connected to health conditions. Scammers could use details like these to make Medicare, pharmacy and supplement pitches sound more believable. Turn off tracking and sharing where possible, and use available deletion or opt-out requests for information companies have already collected.

Would you stop using a health app if it shared your medical data, or would stronger privacy controls be enough to keep you? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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Technology

Schools are catching on to Big Tech’s playbook

Published

8 hours ago

September 11, 2026

Press Room

Schools are catching on to Big Tech’s playbook

It’s the hot new thing in tech, and it’s where all the jobs are. Students who don’t learn to use it fall behind. And to help them catch up in time, its creators are graciously providing the resources and curriculum for learning it, often pro bono.

That’s the narrative AI companies are pitching schools on right now, but according to New York Times education technology reporter Natasha Singer, it’s also how the tech industry has built its influence in classrooms for the past 15 years.

In a new book, Coding Kids, Singer details how tech companies took a central role in promoting computers and coding skills in education, promising computer science skills were the ticket to high-paying jobs. But by the time many of those students entered the workforce, new technologies had thrown that promise into question. Meanwhile, the companies got schools to help them create a new class of would-be workers, and trained students on using their products and software, making them likely future customers.

“I worry we have collective amnesia”

Now, the AI industry is pitching itself to schools with similar force. “I worry we have collective amnesia,” Singer told me on a recent episode of The Vergecast. “Have we learned any lessons from these past tech cycles in schools that are going to inform the rollout of AI, make sure that it benefits education, and put in the safeguards now — not a decade from now?” Fortunately, in some ways, she believes the answer is yes.

Singer’s book recounts how more than a decade ago, the country’s largest tech companies embedded themselves directly into school curricula through courses for Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles classes. Apple and Microsoft each created their own curricula, featuring their own tools like Apple’s Swift or Microsoft’s Minecraft. “What’s striking about this is you can imagine that parents would not want, say, Pfizer AP Biology, or Northrop Grumman AP Physics, or ExxonMobil Environmental Science AP,” Singer says. She found that those in the medical field would likely understand why — medical students who are trained by a company on how to implant their proprietary device, one expert told her as an example, rarely choose to try another.

Google has also made itself a dominant force in education through its distribution of low-cost laptops called Chromebooks. Singer tracked their ubiquitous adoption across schools through the 2010s, which she says was accelerated even further during the school shutdowns of the covid-19 pandemic. Google also introduced its Classroom app to help teachers communicate things like assignments and grades. By the time generative AI took off, Singer writes, Google was already a key platform provider for many schools, and well-positioned to promote it.

Even when companies weren’t directly involved in education, they backed nonprofit groups like Code.org. Code.org kicked off its viral education campaign with a splashy celebrity-laden video that included tech moguls like Microsoft founder Bill Gates and then-Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, urging kids to learn to code. Code.org founder Hadi Partovi took a startup-style approach to promoting computer science education, and had little planned for how to capitalize on the attention of the video once it took off, Singer writes. He ultimately funneled that attention into a similarly splashy “Hour of Code” campaign across the country, urging schools to engage in entertaining hour-long courses introducing kids to coding building blocks.

At the time, there wasn’t much pushback, Singer found — though there were some attempts at alternatives. One group of academics engaged in a more traditional, methodological approach to testing and rolling out their own computer science curriculum. It had the express goal of diversifying the kinds of students enrolled in such courses, and taught students to think about big questions around the internet and technology, and scrutinize builders’ motivations.

Eventually, backlash arrived. Some recent graduates say they feel let down that they were told to code their whole lives, just to find such entry-level jobs to be diminishing, Singer told me. Some schools are getting rid of ubiquitous Google Chromebooks, and research around the world is finding that adding technology to the classroom often doesn’t have a significant impact on actual learning.

“Most parents want more than just getting kids to learn to use tech”

“I’m not arguing against tech education or tech in schools,” Singer says. “But what I am saying is most parents want more than just getting kids to learn to use tech. They want kids to learn how to be informed citizens in a democracy, and they want kids to figure out what their passions are and who they are and what their beliefs are… And so if we let the tech industry dictate or even heavily influence what happens in schools, then the question we’re asking is, how can we get AI into schools faster? Which is a product question, and not, ‘What are the most important things we want kids to learn?’”

While the AI industry of the 2020s may be pulling from the 2010s playbook, there already appears to be one distinct difference: Parents and school districts are pushing back. Just last week, the nation’s largest school system, New York City, banned elementary and middle schools from letting students use AI in the classroom for the coming school year. A day later, Los Angeles announced an even broader restriction that included high schoolers. And unlike the few-and-far-between critiques Singer documented in the early days of tech’s coding push, there appears to be a vibrant grassroots movement fighting the screen- and AI-ification of the classroom among parents and teachers alike.

“I think schools are beginning to figure it out,” says Singer, who’s “optimistic” that teachers and students are looking for a broader kind of tech education. That curriculum could teach kids “to ask deep questions about how companies are steering us with their technology, how software and AI are designed to affect our choices, and what role students have to use the tools productively. But also to push back if they like, and to not feel like they’re in a world where AI is driving them.”

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Lauren Feiner

Technology

Floating solar panels could save cities millions. Is your town next?

Published

9 hours ago

September 11, 2026

Press Room

Floating solar panels could save cities millions. Is your town next?

Cowboy Space to launch solar-powered data centers

Fox News host Will Cain discusses Cowboy Space Corporation’s plans to launch solar-powered data centers into orbit by 2028 as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure grows. Cain explains how the technology could use solar energy to power AI chips in space.

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What if your town could build a solar farm without giving up acres of valuable land? Lima, Ohio, is trying something different. The city has completed a 2-megawatt solar array that floats on the Twin Lakes Reservoir, its primary drinking water source.

More than 3,000 solar panels now sit on the water and feed electricity to the nearby water treatment plant. The city projects the system will save nearly $10 million in electricity costs over its lifetime. That kind of savings could get the attention of cities far beyond Ohio.

So, could floating solar panels eventually show up on a reservoir near you? Here’s how the technology works, why cities are interested and what it could mean for your community.

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WHO PAYS FOR US POWER BOOM? BLUE, RED STATES OFFER STARKLY DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOWER UTILITY BILLS AMID AI SURGE

An Ohio city is using floating solar panels on its drinking water reservoir to power its water treatment plant and cut millions in projected energy costs. (D3Energy)

Ohio puts 3,120 solar panels on a drinking water reservoir

Lima officially celebrated the completion of its Twin Lakes Floating Solar Project on Aug. 12. The final system includes 3,120 solar panels spread across about 3.6 acres of water, according to developer D3Energy. The 2-megawatt array sits on Lima’s primary drinking water reservoir. That reservoir serves roughly 35,000 residents.

Next door, the city’s water treatment plant processes about 14 million gallons of water each day. It also consumes more electricity than any other city facility. That makes the plant an obvious place to look for energy savings. Lima projects the floating solar system will save nearly $10 million in electricity costs over its lifetime. Earlier city estimates put first-year savings at roughly $200,000. For a city utility, that is serious money. Actual lifetime savings will depend on factors including future electricity prices and how the system performs over time.

How floating solar panels work

Instead of attaching panels to racks planted in the ground, engineers mount them on floating platforms. Anchors and mooring lines keep the array in position.

Lima uses Ciel & Terre’s Hydrelio floating system. Its anchoring setup connects to the banks and reservoir bottom. The design also allows the array to move as water levels change. The project uses bifacial solar panels, which can capture light on both sides.

Electricity travels from the array to eight inverters onshore. From there, the electricity helps power the water treatment plant. The result looks a bit like a traditional solar farm that traded grass for water.

Why cities may want solar panels floating on water

Here is where the idea gets particularly interesting. Land costs money. It also competes with housing, businesses, agriculture and other development. Reservoirs already occupy space. Lima’s floating array covers about four acres.

A land-based system producing the same amount of electricity would reportedly need at least 10 acres. That could make floating solar attractive to cities with limited open space. The panels can also sit near the facilities that need the electricity. In Lima, the water treatment plant sits right beside the reservoir. That reduces the need to find a distant solar site and then figure out how to move the electricity where the city needs it.

Researchers have also studied whether floating solar can help reduce evaporation by shading portions of the water surface. Of course, every reservoir comes with different conditions. Water depth, changing levels and recreational use can affect whether a project makes sense. Federal researchers also consider existing dam operations when evaluating potential sites.

LAWMAKERS TARGET ENERGY AFFORDABILITY THROUGH SWEEPING PERMITTING OVERHAUL IN NEW HOUSE BILL

Floating solar could help cities generate clean energy without using valuable land, but questions remain about long-term costs and water safety. (D3Energy)

What about putting solar panels on drinking water?

This was one of my first questions. These panels are floating on the same reservoir that provides drinking water to about 35,000 people. Lima’s system uses Ciel & Terre Hydrelio floats made from high-density polyethylene, or HDPE.

Ciel & Terre says its floating system complies with the BS 6920:2000 standard for nonmetallic materials that come into contact with water intended for human consumption. Still, communities considering floating solar have more to evaluate than whether the structure can float safely.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has examined environmental and regulatory questions surrounding floating solar. Its research notes that projects can affect water bodies differently depending on the location. That means a system that works well on one reservoir may require a different design somewhere else.

The project cost millions before it could save millions

There is another number worth paying attention to. The Lima project cost about $5.3 million. Federal support played a substantial role in making the numbers work. The city received a $2.4 million Department of Energy grant. Combined with almost $900,000 in federal direct-pay tax credits, that support helped offset roughly half of the project’s cost.

Those incentives covered a significant share of the upfront expense. That context is important when another city looks at Lima’s projected $10 million in savings. A town considering floating solar would need to look at construction costs, financing and expected electricity production. Available incentives could change the calculation as well.

Lima began considering the project years before crews put panels on the water. City Council approved moving forward with the project in 2023. Construction began in 2025 before the system came online this August.

Could floating solar panels spread across America?

Lima may look unusual today, but floating solar has substantial room to grow. Ohio already has more than one project. D3Energy and ARP Solar completed a 1.5-megawatt floating array for Del-Co Water in Delaware, Ohio, in 2024. A 6-megawatt system in Monroeville is expected to come online before the end of 2026.

The bigger opportunity stretches far beyond Ohio. National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers studied federally owned or regulated reservoirs across the U.S. They estimated those reservoirs have technical potential for 861 to 1,042 gigawatts of floating solar capacity.

That figure represents technical potential rather than a prediction that thousands of reservoirs will soon disappear under solar panels. Plenty of locations would never make sense.

Still, the scale helps explain why energy developers and local governments are taking a closer look at water. CyberGuy has covered this idea before on a much larger scale. India’s Omkareshwar project showed how enormous floating solar installations can become. We have also seen developers rethink the shape of solar installations on land. One Texas company is building vertical solar towers designed to produce more power from a smaller footprint.

AMERICA’S BROKEN PERMITTING SYSTEM IS QUIETLY RAISING YOUR COST OF LIVING

Cities across the U.S. are exploring floating solar as a way to reduce utility costs while making use of existing reservoirs. (D3Energy)

Will floating solar panels lower your utility bill?

Here is the part I would keep an eye on. Lima expects to save nearly $10 million in electricity costs over the project’s lifetime. But that does not mean residents will suddenly see a cheaper water bill. The city could use those savings in different ways. Lower energy costs could help cover other expenses, pay for infrastructure upgrades or ease pressure on future rate increases.

So, if a floating solar project comes to your town, there is one question worth asking: Will any of those savings eventually make their way back to you? That answer could determine how much this technology really helps the people paying the bills.

What this means to you

You probably do not spend much time thinking about how much electricity your local water plant consumes. Yet you ultimately help pay for that electricity through taxes, utility rates or both. Floating solar gives cities another way to attack that expense without buying a huge parcel of land.

It also raises questions you should ask before cheering on a project. How much will it cost? How much electricity will it realistically generate? What happens to the savings? You should also ask what testing and monitoring will protect the water supply. Those answers will tell you whether a floating solar project makes financial sense for your community.

Kurt’s key takeaways

What I like about Lima’s floating solar project is how practical the idea feels. The city already owns the reservoir, and its water treatment plant right next door uses a huge amount of electricity. So instead of finding another piece of land for solar panels, Lima put them on the water. Then there is the projected $10 million in savings. That certainly gets my attention. I want to see whether those savings hold up over time and, more importantly, whether residents eventually benefit from them. Lima also gives other cities something real to look at. We are seeing communities experiment with new ways to generate and store energy, from floating solar to massive battery projects. And who knows? The next solar project in your town may end up floating right on the water.

Would you be comfortable with thousands of solar panels floating on your town’s drinking water reservoir if officials said the project could save millions, or would you need to see more long-term evidence first? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Technology

Slack can now vibe-code interactive charts and reports inside chats

Published

19 hours ago

September 10, 2026

Press Room

Slack can now vibe-code interactive charts and reports inside chats

A new feature coming to Slack will allow you to build interactive reports, polls, dashboards, presentations, microsites, and other tools directly inside a chat. With Slackforce Surfaces, you can describe to Slackbot what you need, and it will use AI to gather information from relevant conversations and connected apps, like Google Drive or Salesforce, to create it.

Once Slackbot creates a Surface, you can share it with colleagues and pin it to channels, allowing other people to view it, interact with it, and leave comments. In one example shared by Slack, a user asks Slackbot for help creating an arcade-themed visualization of AI token usage. The AI assistant then generates an interactive dashboard showing token usage across different divisions, such as sales, design, and engineering.

“You’re not exporting your data to some other tool to make sense of it, you’re asking Slackbot to build the dashboard, the deck, the report right where the conversation already is, and your whole team can act on it together,” Ryan Gavin, Slack’s chief marketing officer, tells The Verge in an email.

It seems like there are many other ways to use Surfaces, too, like building a live dashboard for a customer support queue that other workers can view, or creating a weather-themed financial forecast that pulls in data from connected apps. Slack notes that the feature will only pull information that you’ve given its AI tools permission to access.

Slackforce Surfaces is available to all customers — including those who use it for free — with Slackbot enabled in their workspace. You’ll be able to use it with live data starting in October.