Pressing Your Phone Camera Against Your Finger Will Not Measure Your Blood Pressure

The tiny sensors in our smartphones can do amazing things, but what they cannot do is substitute for a blood pressure cuff. That’s unfortunate, because having your blood pressure measured can be painful and unpleasant. However, one app-maker ran afoul of federal regulators by claiming that your smartphone camera could be used to accurately check your vitals.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, developer Aura’s Instant Blood Pressure app did three things to cross the legal line.

First, it marketed the app by bragging about how accurate it is compared to a blood pressure cuff, which the FTC points out is not actually the case.

Second, the company’s own CEO left a review in Apple’s App Store without disclosing his relationship to the company.

Finally, the company’s website was full of enthusiastic testimonials, which the FTC determined were from employees and their family members.

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