As chair of the Federal Trade Commission, Edith Ramirez is America’s top privacy regulator. She won’t wear a Fitbit.

Speaking at a panel at CES here, Ramirez said she was a big fan of the step-counting fitness trend. But to participate, she uses an old-fashioned pedometer not connected to any social network.

“I don’t want my sensitive health information being shared,” she said. “Companies need to be sure they don’t collect information they truly don’t need.”

CES is arguably the most awkward place to make such a statement. The convention floor is filled with gizmos that count steps, calories, heart rates, how much milk you have left and how much you turned in your sleep last night. Ramirez said she even saw a “smart fork” that tracks eating habits.

But if the tech is impressive, Ramirez said consumers need to be more cautious about “ubiquitous collection” as every part of their lives is posted online, either voluntarily or automatically.

“How is this information being used? With whom is it being shared?” she asked.

A Fitbit spokeswoman said in an emailed response: “We have always been committed to protecting consumer privacy and keeping data safe. Fitbit has committed to never sharing users’ personal information with others unless the user directs us to.”

The company did have a defender in Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, who interviewed Ramirez onstage.

“It is addictive,” he said of his Fitbit. “Even my seven-year-old child is running around in circles just to get his.”

At one point, he asked to compare his steps for the day with Ramirez’s. She declined, noting her number would be low because she hadn’t yet toured the showroom floor.

As of 12.30pm local time, a Guardian reporter was at 5,464 steps.