Four out of five of the UK’s most popular session tracking apps share personal data with third parties, a report published today shows.
Experts criticized the ‘harassment’ of sensitive personal information and warned it meant women’s health data could be used to target them with targeted advertising.
An analysis of 25 of the most popular period tracking apps in the UK was carried out by the Health and Care Programs Audit Organization (ORCHA), an independent company that assesses the safety of health programs for the NHS.
It found 21 of 25 apps analyzed — 84 percent — shared at least some data with external partners, while 24 of 25 shared user health data with the app developer.
Of those who shared data with third parties, nearly 70 percent did so for ‘marketing purposes’, while 40 percent said they shared it for ‘research’ and 40 percent said they shared it to improve developer services.
The data shared may include details of sexual activity, contraceptive use and when a user’s period ends and starts. The contact information of users who subscribed to their sessions was also sold as marketing contact lists.
The study found 21 of the 25 apps analyzed – 84 percent – shared at least some data with external partners.
Period and fertility tracking apps have become increasingly popular over the past decade, with London’s ‘Flo’ app alone boasting 200 million users worldwide.
Cycle monitors form a huge ‘femtech’ market that was worth $22 billion in 2020 and is estimated to be worth $60 billion in 5 years time.
Commenting on the report, health technology expert who is also a GP Dr Marcus Baw said: ‘These figures are very important for companies who have a direct or indirect interest in knowing who is fertile, who is pregnant and who does not, or who can have fertility. things
“It’s entirely possible that companies could even use this kind of data to target people with, say, more emotion-based ads at a time in their cycle when they might be most vulnerable to emotion.”
He said that companies were required by UK law to tell users what their data was being used for, but this information was often buried in terms and conditions or a privacy policy that few people read carefully before signing up.
Although consumers in the UK have the right to request the data that a company holds, companies do not have to provide specific information about who they share with or what parts of the data have been transferred.
The fact that the apps are sharing sensitive personal data with third parties adds weight to growing concerns about how the data could be misused to investigate women, following the controversial overturn of the Roe vs. Wade abortion decision in the United States, he added.
Bike trackers form a huge ‘femtech’ market that was worth $22 billion in 2020 and is estimated to be worth $60 billion in 5 years time.
Fatima Ahmed, obstetrician and gynecologist and ORCHA’s clinical lead for women’s health, said: “It is alarming that some of these innovative new tools seem to have very detailed information on women.
‘It is important… that we protect patient information at all costs. A data breach is a breach of patient trust. Even when patients give consent, it is for a reason. It is not open access and free for all to participate.’
The Data Privacy Session report, published today, revealed the results of the researchers’ analysis of the software against 350 different metrics, including data security, compliance with GDPR and data protection laws, usability and treatment accuracy.
It found about half failed to meet minimum data security requirements, while only one asked users within the app for their permission to share their data. Others hid this within the terms and conditions or privacy policy.
The researchers also found that once users sign up for an app and agree their data can be used, it can be difficult to withdraw consent.
Almost half of the tested applications that processed personal and sensitive data showed poor compliance with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
And five did not provide an email address or contact number where users can request their data to be deleted – despite this being a legal requirement.
Only five met the minimum quality standards to be added to ORCHA’s digital library, which is used by NHS doctors to recommend approved health programs to patients.
And only two – FitBit and Natural Cycles – were recommended as safe and secure.
The study found 21 of the 25 apps analyzed – 84 percent – shared at least some data with external partners.
The report did not name programs that had negative results.
But it said the apps that passed the benchmark were usually broad health apps that offered simple period tracking, such as Fitbit, rather than those that offered advanced tracking of women’s health and fertility.
It said: ‘It is clear that this is a market for low-quality apps… This is particularly worrying, given the high consumer demand for women’s health apps and the lack of regulation in app stores.’
The Apple and Google Play app stores were reached for comment but did not respond.
26 states where abortion may be illegal now the Supreme Court has overturned Roe vs Wade
26 states where abortion will be illegal if SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade after a leaked opinion showed a majority of justices supported the move.
More than half of all states in the United States have some form of abortion ban law that may go into effect now that Roe v Wade has been overturned by the United States Supreme Court.
According to the reproductive rights group The Guttmacher Institute, there are 26 states likely to make abortion illegal as Supreme Court overturns landmark 1973 ruling.
18 have existing abortion bans that have previously been ruled unconstitutional, four have temporary bans and four are likely to pass law soon after Roe v Wade is overturned, the agency found.
The 18 states that have almost all abortion bans already on the books are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia. , Wisconsin and Wyoming.
In addition, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and South Carolina all have laws banning abortions after the six-week mark.
Florida, Indiana, Montana and Nebraska are likely to pass bills when Roe v Wade is overturned, the Guttmacher Institute said.
Prohibitions in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin all have pre-Roe v Wade laws that were made unenforceable after the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision — which goes into effect now. federal law. established in Roe is overturned.
Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Texas have additional bans that would go into effect if the law were overturned. These were passed after Roe v Wade.
They are joined by Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming, in passing similar laws.
States that will limit abortions based on how long the patient has been pregnant are Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota and Ohio.
There are four states that have laws that abortion is not a constitutionally protected right: Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and West Virginia.