ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors investigate major social and ethical implications raised by mobile health (mHealth) technologies. Their investigation draw from their interdisciplinary expertise, spanning across political philosophy, public health ethics, sociology, Science and Technology Studies, and law. Accuracy and safety are paramount for ensuring that health technologies provide user benefits and prevent harms. The authors discuss major ethical concerns in the mHealth field, such as issues relating to ontologies and epistemologies used in mHealth, accuracy, safety, efficacy, support for user decision-making, questions of security, the need for preventing physical and mental harm from mHealth, the importance of health benefit and the need for intersectionality and justice within mHealth technologies. A stronger focus on health justice in mHealth would also warrant the inclusion of quality control and provision of intersectional benefit into ethical and regulatory frameworks for mHealth.
