{"id":20485,"date":"2022-12-15T18:43:50","date_gmt":"2022-12-15T14:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/reproductive-health-apps-privacy-and-security\/20485\/"},"modified":"2022-12-15T18:43:50","modified_gmt":"2022-12-15T14:43:50","slug":"reproductive-health-apps-privacy-and-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/reproductive-health-apps-privacy-and-security\/20485\/","title":{"rendered":"Privacy in reproductive health apps"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reproductive health apps have long since ceased to be a simple online menstrual cycle calendar. Now they\u2019re much more than that: today\u2019s apps monitor changes in the body from first menstruation to menopause, help prepare for pregnancy (or prevent an unwanted one), and much else besides. Formerly mostly electronic replacements for paper calendars and notepads, they\u2019ve become an important tool for spotting signs of mental and physical health issues in the early stages.<\/p>\n

To get the most out of a reproductive health app, the user must regularly provide a lot of personal information about their condition that they sure wouldn\u2019t want to become public knowledge. And so the question arises: to what degree can you trust the developers of such applications and devices? Unfortunately, the answer isn\u2019t exactly reassuring.<\/p>\n

Tarnished reputation<\/h2>\n

Blind faith in reproductive health apps is not recommended, because developers have repeatedly betrayed the trust of users. In 2020 we wrote<\/a> about two quite popular apps\u00a0\u2014 Maya and MIA \u2014 that shared users\u2019 personal information with Facebook.<\/p>\n

Generally, apps can share their data with third parties for marketing, research, or other purposes after getting the user\u2019s consent. Usually users give this consent by accepting the privacy policy. The problem is that Maya and MIA linked up<\/a> to analytics platforms when first launched, and these forwarded private data to the aforementioned social network. In other words, it happened before the user was even given the chance to read the privacy policy and agree (or not) to the transfer of their data.<\/p>\n

Maya and MIA are not the only apps accused of neglecting user privacy. In September 2020 journalists at The Wall Street Journal <\/em>analyzed<\/a> the data-sharing activity of a number of apps. It revealed that Flo, another major reproductive health application, shared information directly related to users\u2019 health (for example, date of menstruation onset or start of pregnancy planning) \u2014 again with Facebook.<\/p>\n

But why does a major corporation need all this information, and should it bother you anyway? First of all, some data (pregnancy-related, for example), can be useful for more accurate targeted advertising. Advertising targeting pregnant people costs ten times more, as they\u2019re likely planning on spending a lot on new stuff they\u2019ll need for the new addition to the family. Second, even for those who don\u2019t see targeted advertising as a bad thing, the disclosure of such intimate information can impact<\/a> the cost of health insurance, potential employment, and more.<\/p>\n

The issue of data-sharing by reproductive health apps escalated this year with the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s overturning of the Roe v. Wade<\/em> ruling, which guaranteed people in the U.S. the right to an abortion. As a consequence of this decision, several states immediately criminalized abortion. It also sparked a debate about data protection in period tracking apps. The fear is that companies could be asked to hand over users\u2019 health data<\/a> to law enforcement agencies. If such a request were granted, the information could be used as evidence in court.<\/p>\n

Okay, so what do I do?<\/h2>\n

All this has inevitably prompted a wave of studies on reproductive health-app security. For example, the Mozilla Foundation analyzed<\/a> the security and privacy of 25 popular apps and devices with the relevant features. So surely that\u2019s the solution right there: simply consult such a list, choose the most secure option, and that\u2019s it. Unfortunately, the privacy policy and security features of a single reproductive health app may differ from country to country \u2014 that is, there\u2019s no definitive data on all the apps because it depends on the region you live in. For this reason, we\u2019ve tried to compile some general tips to help you choose the safest app.<\/p>\n

Read the privacy policy<\/h3>\n

Before downloading an app and feeding it very private information about yourself, it\u2019s vital that you read the privacy policy. This can be found in the app description in the App Store and on Google Play\u00a0\u2014 usually somewhere at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, this is no fun: it\u2019s likely to contain legalese. But when it comes to your reproductive health, we strongly advise that you take the time to go through it. And in doing so, pay attention to the following details:<\/p>\n