Women’s period tracker apps pose frightening privacy and safety risks, according to experts. These apps collect personal information, including:
- Exercise
- Diet
- Medication
- Sexual preferences
- Hormone levels
- Contraception use
Data Commodification Concerns
Academics from the University of Cambridge have stated that this data could be sold at scale, posing significant risks and harms for users. The personal information collected by these apps is highly valuable to companies. A report from the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy found that menstrual data can provide insights into women’s health and reproductive choices, making cycle tracking app companies a "gold mine" for consumer profiling.
Dr. Stefanie Felsberger emphasized the risks, stating:
“There are real and frightening privacy and safety risks to women as a result of the commodification of the data collected by cycle tracking app companies.”
User Behavior and Advertising Insights
Many women download these apps when trying to get pregnant, leading to a shift in shopping behavior as their data becomes highly sought after in digital advertising. The report highlights that:
- Data on who is pregnant—and who wants to be—has emerged as some of the most sought-after information in digital advertising.
- Cycle tracking apps (CTAs) are lucrative businesses because they provide companies with access to extremely valuable and fine-grained user data.
Links to Healthcare Providers
The researchers also found that many CTAs have links with fertility clinics or other healthcare providers, which can lead to further exploitation of users’ sensitive health information. Dr. Felsberger noted:
“Cycle tracking Apps (CTAs) are lucrative businesses because they provide companies behind them with access to extremely valuable and fine-grained user data. This is not just about pregnancy but also about sexual activity and contraceptive use.”
Call for Regulation
Dr. Felsberger expressed concern about the profits being made from selling sensitive health information without consent or transparency, stating:
“It’s not just about making money off people’s periods; it’s also making money off people’s bodies.”
The researchers have called on regulators worldwide to take action, particularly in Australia, where one company has been fined $2 million over its handling of menstrual cycle-tracking app users’ personal information.
In 2021, Apple announced that developers creating period trackers for iOS devices must inform customers if they plan to sell their location history or other sensitive details like menstruation status. However, Dr. Felsberger argued that more needs to be done:
“We need more than just transparency; we need regulation.”
Regulators around the world should take action against any company collecting sensitive health information without consent, according to Dr. Stefanie Felsberger.
I’m Mark W. Lamplugh Jr., a visionary Chief Executive Officer, Board Member, and best-selling Author with over 25 years of experience driving significant revenue growth and optimizing ROI across the healthcare, wellness, and media industries. Throughout my career, I’ve consistently transformed underperforming operations into thriving ventures by building top-tier marketing organizations, implementing data-driven strategies, and leading transformational change. My empathetic, collaborative, and adaptable leadership style has allowed me to cultivate inclusive cultures of innovation, develop and retain top talent, and forge strong partnerships that fuel organizational success.
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