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Scoop
14 hours ago
- Health
- Scoop
Popular Period-Tracking Apps Can Hold Years Of Personal Data – New NZ Research Finds Mixed Awareness Of Risk
Period-tracking apps are popular digital tools for a range of menstrual, reproductive and general health purposes. But the way these apps collect and use data involves risk. Many apps encourage users to log information well beyond their menstrual cycle, including sexual activity, medications, sleep quality, exercise, social activity and perimenopause symptoms. As well as this logged data, apps often collect location and other personally identifiable information. Period tracking apps may pose a particularly high risk in places where abortion is illegal because user data may be accessed by law enforcement on request. Our new research examines how aware app users in Aotearoa New Zealand are of these risks. We found a range of levels of understanding and perspectives on risk, from untroubled to concerned and deeply worried about the implications of digital tracking for reproductive rights. Privacy, data and risk The first period-tracking app was released in 2013. Since then, hundreds of such apps have been created, with collectively hundreds of millions of downloads worldwide. A recent analysis found app downloads are particularly prevalent in North America, Europe, Australia and Aotearoa. The same study found three apps – Flo, Clue and Period Tracker – make up the majority of downloads. Some period apps can link to and import information from other apps and wearables. For example, Clue can link to and import information from the Oura smart ring and Apple Health, both of which gather personal health metrics. Flo can similarly import information from other health apps. A recent analysis of period app privacy policies found they often collect a range of personally identifiable information. Personal health data flows to third parties Some participants in our research have used an app for a decade or longer. This means the app holds a comprehensive database of years of intimate health data and other personal information, including some which they may not have chosen to provide. This data can be used by a range of third parties in commercial, research or other applications, sometimes without app users' explicit knowledge or consent. One study found many period apps exported more data than was declared in privacy policies, including to third parties. Another study reported that apps changed privacy policies without obtaining user consent. Apps can also infer sensitive information not explicitly logged by users by combining data. In 2021, Flo reached a settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission on charges over its sharing of user data with marketing and analytics companies without user consent. App privacy policies often state that user data may be accessed by law enforcement on request, which is a major concern in places where abortion is illegal. Users may explicitly log the start and end of pregnancies, but pregnancy can also be inferred or predicted using other data. In some cases, period app data may therefore reveal a user's miscarriage or abortion. Making sense of the risk in New Zealand Our exploration of user attitudes about the risk of period-tracking apps has revealed that about half of participants were unconcerned about their data. Some imagined positive uses for their data, such as improving the app or contributing to reproductive healthcare research. These potential uses are often highlighted by period-tracking apps in marketing materials. Other participants were concerned about their data. Some had risk minimisation strategies, including limiting what information they logged. Concerned participants were often resigned to uncontrolled uses of their data. One said: [there's] no such thing as private data these days. Another thought that: everyone that does anything online […] is kind of accepting the fact that your data is being potentially accessed and used by third parties. It's just kind of where it is now. About a third of participants in our study contextualised their concerns with respect to reproductive rights and abortion access, especially since the 2022 overturn of Roe v Wade in the US. Others wondered if what happened in the US could happen in New Zealand. One participant referenced concepts such as rangatiratanga and mana motuhake (self determination) when thinking about period app data. She said: I worry about the politics that happen overseas coming here to Aotearoa […] knowing that I don't have full control or rangatiratanga over the data I provide. I worry for all users about what this information can be used for in future, as much as we like to say 'this is New Zealand, that would never happen here', we have no idea. With gender and reproductive rights at risk around the world, such concerns are reasonable and justified. Study participants used period-tracking apps for diverse reasons, including to plan for periods, to track pain and communicate it to doctors, to help get pregnant, and to learn about their bodies. Some participants told us that using period apps was empowering. Some perceived period apps as risky, with limits to how they can mitigate the risk. Menstruators shouldn't have to trade data privacy and security in order to access the benefits of period-tracking apps. Legislators and policy makers should understand the benefits and risks and ensure strong data protections are in place.
Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Period tracking app users warned of 'frightening safety risk' amid data concerns
Period tracking apps may pose a huge privacy risk to users amid concerns about companies selling the data, according to a recent report from the University of Cambridge Women who use period tracking apps have been warned over privacy fears that their data is being sold to third party companies. These cycle tracking apps are an increasingly popular way for women to understand their menstrual cycle and there have been over 250 million downloads of the three biggest apps - Flo, Clue and Period Tracker. However a damning report from University of Cambridge's Minderoo Centre said the tracking apps were a "gold mine" for consumer profiling. By collecting information, it could allow companies to produce targeted advertisements linked to information users think is kept private. The researchers also warn that if this data gets into the wrong hands, it could even affect access to abortion, health insurance discrimination and cyberstalking as well as risks to job prospects. READ MORE: 'We're empowering women to take charge of their health - new police guidance pushes us back' "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," said Dr Stefanie Felsberger, the lead author of the report. The report calls on organisations such as the NHS and other health bodies to create a "safer" alternative that is trustworthy. Under EU and UK law, the data from these period-tracking apps comes under a special category, which means it should have special protections from being sold on - but this report highlights that consent options are not always enforced or implemented. This then allows the data can be sold to advertisers and tech giants such as Facebook and Google. If the data is sold on, it can be used to target women with tailored adverts for different parts of their cycle such as beauty ads popping up during ovulation, as well as ads relating to pregnancy. According to BBC, researchers said data on who is pregnant, and who wants to be, was some of the "most sought-after information in digital advertising" as it led to a shift in shopping patterns and can be up to 200 times more valuable than data on gender, age and location. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you! Dr Felsberger added: "Menstrual cycle tracking apps are presented as empowering women and addressing the gender health gap. Yet the business model behind their services rests on commercial use, selling user data and insights to third parties for profit. 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." Worryingly, the data can also be used against women when it comes to having an abortion. In the UK, data from apps designed to aid women's health has been requested by police in investigations into women illegally accessing abortion services, according to a Tortoise Media investigation. The guidance released in January 2025 by the National Police Chiefs' Council stated that women who experience a sudden unexpected pregnancy loss, and if the police suspect a miscarriage, stillbirth or early labour is the result of an illegal abortion could be investigated by the authorities. The Mirror spoke to Rhiannon White, CEO of period tracking app Clue on the report, who said she was "disappointed" to see these headlines. "Clue was created, to give women and people with cycles the knowledge and agency around our menstrual and reproductive health that our public health systems have historically failed to. "We firmly believe that as women and people with cycles, our health data must serve us and never be used against us or for anyone else's agenda or commercial benefit. Our app serves our user community–not the agendas of advertisers, insurance companies, data brokers, or anyone else." The CEO continued: "We are a women-led company, CE-marked as a Class I medical device and independently governed under the strictest guidelines of the EU/UK GDPR. We always treat our member data with utmost care, taking all necessary precautions (and more) to ensure it's secure and protected. "We are disappointed to see in these headlines how the female health experience is continually framed from a narrow fertility lens, when we know the vast majority of our members (over 97%) use the app to track a variety of menstrual and cycle related symptoms." She added: "Our de-identified dataset powers critical research into conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, and cycle-related pain, helping to close historic gaps in women's health. The assumption that an overwhelmed public health system can exceed the quality of data protection, medical research, and user-first insight that Clue has prioritised for over a decade is something we welcome a discussion around. We see value in collaboration with any partner or public health entity who wants to join us in moving women's health forward." Sue Khan, VP of Security and Data Protection Officer at Flo told the Mirror: "We support all efforts and research to ensure women feel as safe as possible when using their period tracking apps, and believe the highest standards of data protection must be applied by femtech services in order to protect the rights and freedoms of users. "At Flo, implementing and advocating for best-in-class privacy practices so women's health data can be treated with the utmost respect and care is our priority, and that will never change. We have never - and will never - monetise or sell user data. We do not see personal data as a commodity, and categorically reject the notion that women's health data should be treated as a goldmine for advertising. Our business model is solely subscription-based and does not depend on the exploitation of reproductive information. "We firmly believe it's 'your body, your data'. In 2022, Flo created Anonymous Mode, a first-of-its-kind, award-winning technology that gives users the option to access the Flo app without name, email address, or any technical identifiers being associated with their health information. This means that no one — not Flo, not authorities, no one — can identify the user upon request. We also open-sourced our Anonymous Mode, meaning that any femtech or health tech company could use this technology if they wish. Because safeguarding women's rights isn't a competitive advantage—it's a collective responsibility."
Daily Mirror
30-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'We're empowering women's health - new police guidance pushes us back'
Clue CEO Rhiannon White speaks to the Mirror about the detrimental effects of the new police guidance, which allows for period tracking apps to be checked should police suspect an illegal abortion We're deep into our digital era. Kids are forming relationships with AI chat bots, shops and services are going purely online and healthcare is following suit, as a new AI tool is being developed for the NHS which seeks to predict who is about to fall ill. And so it is no surprise that the digital revolution on menstruation apps has arrived. For the past decade, period tracking apps have replaced the traditional calendar for tracking the menstrual cycle. I remember marking X's on my wall calendar until the age of 16, before downloading Flo and keeping track digitally. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 50 million women worldwide use period tracking apps. Of the big three - Flo, Clue and Period Tracker - there are 250 million downloads combined, as per a University of Oxford study. As a teen, this private and anonymous digital space was a godsend, as my GP was only referred to in emergencies for anything regarding my menstrual cycle. As I grew older, I was usually brushed off by my doctors for any period related issue - and I know I'm not alone in that experience. My period tracking app - with everything from on-hand expert advice and content about women's bodies and sexual health, to personalised advice regarding my menstrual cycle - helped to fill a huge information gap in my life. So when new guidance revealed that police would have access to this safe space should they suspect an illegal abortion, it felt like something special had been ripped away. It is another form of surveillance women would have to submit to. The guidance, quietly released in by the National Police Chiefs' Council in January, states that women who experience a sudden unexpected pregnancy loss, if they suspect a miscarriage, stillbirth or early labour is the result of an illegal abortion could be investigated by the police. The guidance further states that women could have their homes searched for evidence of abortion drugs and their phones seized for their search history, period tracking apps or fertility apps checked for evidence of whether they were aware of their pregnancy. The Mirror heard from popular period tracking apps Flo and Clue, who said they were "shocked" and "outraged" over the new guidance. Now, in an exclusive interview with Rhiannon White, CEO of period tracking app Clue, the detrimental effects of the new guidance were brought to the surface. 'What I find so upsetting about all of this is that it perpetuates the huge gap in women's health,' White told The Mirror. 'There's a lot of talk about the diagnosis gap, the treatment gap and the pain gap, but at the root of all of this is a data gap.' White explains that women's health has long been an afterthought, a prime example being that women weren't mandated to be included in clinical trials until 1993, as stated in the NIH. 'Even today, 75% of trials don't include women in them and those that do include women don't disaggregate the data by sex, leaving the impact on women unclear. And 80% of drugs that are withdrawn post-market are because of unexpected side effects on women. We don't know the most basic information,' she added. Clue is working to fill the data gap, with the permission of women who use the app to use their data to research health issues like PMS, endometriosis and other glaring women's health issues that seem to be ignored. 'If we don't do [the research], no one else is doing it for us, so I can't tell how upset I am as the new guidance just pushes us back even further," White said. To understand the data gap in women's health further, you only have to look at the eight-year long NHS waiting list for an endometriosis diagnosis as one prime example. According to the charity Endometriosis UK, as of 2024, it takes an average of eight years and 10 months to get a diagnosis of endometriosis. Knowing that the police guidance could deter women from tracking their symptoms and, in turn, contributing to what could be lifesaving research in the long run not only affects our gender, but also our society. 'The horrible truth is that reproductive surveillance has been a feature of female life forever, but the possibility of using this data to help (when it's of course properly anonymized and people are given permission) to push forward the research gap is really huge,' White says. 'It strengthens everyone's health when women are healthy.' The new police guidance unnecessarily pushes back on the progression of women's health going digital. According to 2024 research by Bupa, women have embraced digital healthcare, with 73% of women open to using technology to improve their health and wellbeing, and Rhiannon has seen this too through her work at Clue. She said: 'We really see a very powerful opportunity in supporting women and empowering women in that respect and taking charge of their health because bluntly we have to because no one else is going to do it.' In the face of increased reproductive surveillance, worrying developments around women's bodily autonomy, and mounting societal pressures, White hopes women can filter out the noise with one mission: to protect their autonomy and trust their own instincts. 'I just want women to be able to choose what's best for them and have the information so they can make those choices,' White concludes.
Daily Mirror
23-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Period apps 'outraged' at new guidance to search women's phones if they miscarry
Leaders of period tracking apps Flo and Clue have shared their thoughts on the new guidance allowing police to seize a woman's phone and check their period tracking app if she miscarries Popular period tracking apps have revealed that they are "shocked" and "outraged" over the new guidance from the National Police Chiefs' Council, allowing police to check a woman's period tracking apps she experiences pregnancy loss. The guidance, quietly released in January by the NPCC states that women who experience a sudden unexpected pregnancy loss, if they suspect a miscarriage, stillbirth or early labour is the result of an illegal abortion could be investigated by the police. The guidance further states that women could have their homes searched for evidence of abortion drugs and their phones seized for their search history, period tracking apps or fertility apps checked for evidence of whether they were aware of their pregnancy. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 50 million women worldwide use period tracking apps, and of the big three - Flo, Clue and Period Tracker - there are 250 million downloads combined, as per a University of Oxford study. Rhiannon White, CEO of Clue, told the Mirror that they were "shocked and outraged" at the UK police's development and clarified that Clue "have never, and will never, disclose private health data to any authority." White said: "We have spoken loudly on this subject, particularly in the US since Roe Vs Wade was overturned in 2022. This same position applies to every region around the world. As a business, we have built our foundations on protecting women's rights to data privacy, body autonomy and health equity. We want to provide some clear and immediate actions women can do today to protect themselves better, alongside knowing our continuing commitment to protecting Clue members and their data privacy." White confirmed that Clue members can request to have their personal data deleted at any time, explaining that "members will always have full control and autonomy over their own personal information." "We have never and will never share health data with authorities. We will aggressively challenge any such requests and will never allow our members' data to be used against them," the statement concludes. Similarly, Sue Khan, Vice President of Privacy at Flo Health told The Mirror: "Women deserve to be able to use technology to learn more about their bodies and their personal health, without fearing their data will be unjustly used or taken in a way they have not agreed upon." Khan added: "Not only do these actions breed fear and hostility for women who are already going through an undoubtedly traumatic medical experience, they set a dangerous precedent for weaponizing technology built to serve women's needs." She ended her statement by encouraging users to protect their privacy further by implementing the apps' Anonymous Mode, "a first-of-its-kind technology that gives you the option to access the Flo Health app without your name, email address, or any technical identifiers being associated with your health data. This means nobody, not even Flo, could identify you if pressed.' A spokesperson for the NPCC told The Standard that an investigation would only be initiated where there is credible information to suggest criminal activity. They said: "This would often be because of concerns raised from medical professionals.' They also told The Observer that unexpected pregnancy loss was not 'routinely investigated' and 'any investigation of this nature will always be treated with the utmost sensitivity and compassion'. If you are pregnant or a new mother and you are in crisis, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides free, confidential support 24/7 in English and Spanish. Call or text the hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262).
