Source: NYT > Business (paywall)
Nanit and competitors are shifting from monitoring infant sleep to capturing continuous developmental data—feeding patterns, crying episodes, movement—creating persistent digital records of early childhood that parents may not fully understand they're consenting to. The business model monetizes this data through partnerships with pediatricians, insurance companies, and consumer brands, turning the nursery into a revenue stream while establishing surveillance habits before children can consent. The change: from tools parents buy for safety to infrastructure that extracts behavioral intelligence from the most vulnerable population.