The US Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade and making abortion illegal in some states faces protests, emotional petitions and worldwide anger.
One of the many concerns behind this monumental decision is the menstrual tracking app.
People in the US are concerned that data from these apps (menstruation, ovulation, menstrual failure, etc.) could be used to target people seeking abortions.
Fear of trust and privacy. Is our data safe in these technology companies?
Experts warn that these tracking apps can be used to track pregnant people and provide evidence as to whether someone should be punished. This concern is now clearly linked to people living in the US, but should we be concerned here in the UK as well?
For EU member states, the GDPR improves online data protection. In the UK, we have our own post-Brexit version of this law. But is that enough? What if it’s safer to leave the app altogether?
Fear and delusions about how our personal data will be used are unfounded.
Tech giants like Google and Facebook process personal data from your location to your browser search and use it to sell targeted ads. Thousands of apps work the same and I am concerned that many apps don’t know how to use this data.
Is there better data protection in the UK?
EU member states have built-in security that is different from those that use these kinds of apps in the United States. This is due to the GDPR.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the EU’s globally influential law on data and privacy. The GDPR applies to mobile applications that collect and process the personal data of EU citizens. It does not matter if the application is administered outside the EU. The GDPR will continue to work.
The GDPR aims to better manage your personal data and improve the management of your personal business data.
So where does this leave us after Brexit?
When Brexit came into force on January 1, 2021, the UK was no longer subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation. There is currently no proprietary data protection law, but we are using what is called UKR GDPR after Brexit, which will continue until June 27, 2025.
How does the Physiology app use data?
The main concern with the time tracking app data is that it is not encrypted. Encrypted data is considered a high security risk because it is easy to read and can be captured.
“Cycle data is used in sacred text [meaning unencrypted] “We use server-side analytics and prediction algorithms and application cycle tracking on both the application and server sides,” explains Chris Stell, US director of engineering for Promon, a Norwegian security company. Of applications.
“This data can be decrypted by the app provider and may contain information such as ovulation time and location data.”
So this data about your cycle, fertility or pregnancy can be used as evidence in court? Chris says that it is really possible.
“Application providers do not ensure the privacy of user data from malicious end users, malware, or calls to government agencies.”
The Stardust Period Tracking app, which combines menstrual tracking with lunar and planetary movements, will be the first recognized app to offer end-to-end encryption to all users, following its announcement on TikTok on June 24.
For other menstrual tracking apps, are you taking steps to further protect your personal data?
Flo’s website states that health data “is not shared with companies other than Flo and can be deleted at any time.” They also say they collect personal data only for “confidential, explicit and legitimate purposes.” They say that this parameter is reflected in the privacy policy.
A spokeswoman told: “Flo is always committed to protecting women’s health and protecting the data and privacy of our users.
“Soon we will launch a new feature called “Anonymous Mode”. This is an option that allows users to remove their personal identification from their Flo account. Finally, Flo never asks the user to perform an abortion or provide details that seem confidential , and the user can delete the data at any time.
A European company team issued a lengthy statement about its privacy policy in response to the Roe v. Wade.
“Given the increasing criminalization of abortion in the United States, many American consumers understand that they are concerned that US prosecutors may use tracking data. It is important to understand that European law protects sensitive public health data.
They continue to bear the company’s privacy obligations.
They said: “The least amount of data is shared in the most secure way possible” and “when we use the database to obtain new information about women’s health, the scientists we work with before analyzing it guarantee that it will be identified by complete”. “”.
You can read his full response here.
What to do if you suffer from a menstrual tracking app
“For women, it is more important than ever to know what sensitive information they share on these apps and how to use them.
“Before you download anything from the app store, it’s a good idea to review your app’s privacy and security practices first. Look for specific language for three things:
- When and how to share data with third parties
- Possibility to delete data at any time
- Signs that your data has been encrypted. Encryption is a good sign that you are taking data protection seriously. “Secure storage” of data is not enough.
If you have already downloaded the Fertility or Menstruation app and want to stop using it altogether, please refer to their privacy policy to find out how to delete existing data from your app.
If this information is not available, please email Support or the Privacy Alliance. (Usually this is privacy @[name of app].com. )
“In your registration, specifically request that all data collected about you be deleted and request confirmation.”
Robin Andrews, Skyflow Privacy Officer
Is it time to cancel the application?
Given all this complex information, is it safer to delete the app?
There are two experts on this subject. Chris Promon says that tracking your fertility and menstrual health is an important management tool and can help women make informed decisions.
“There is an answer to this question Nope. “Stop using the All-Time Tracking app,” Chris said.
“It is now more important than ever to monitor your menstrual cycle to determine ovulation and make decisions based on this information.
However, there are currently very legitimate concerns about the ability of third parties to identify or target individuals based on this data. Application providers can and should be responsible for end user privacy.
However, Beth Horgan, online privacy specialist at CUBACOO, believes this is worse in the UK than in other regions.
“We’ll launch the app, but first we’ll extract the data from the app,” he asks.
“If our government’s next step is to ban data protection bills, the best way is to delete and delete data from the app. For British women, you are part of that. It can’t be. It’s not your choice.” “.
Betty argues that what we fear is that our personal data breaches are already happening here.
“Throughout the UK, under the supervision of sufficient capital, there are big economies with the obvious purpose of making money, and our government wants to cut them. They are more legislative, they make it possible.”
“How many people notice what they’re sending when they connect FitBit to Google’s mobile phone? Google bought FitBit to access and use the data. We’re happy with the money. I’m paying.”
Beth believes that focusing solely on menstrual monitoring lacks a broader meaning, and we need to think more about online privacy.
“Did you have access to hygiene products, ordering supplements, and online ovulation tests?” she asks. “Your most intimate data is already in their hands. The only purpose of this is to make money with you, whether you like it or not.
“You are using a dating app. What do you spend your money in? You can talk with me? Who are you dating, where are you going? This and many others are for sale without any benefit.
How can app developers better protect their users?
Who is responsible for tracking app users?
Are app developers doing enough to protect their users and keep their data confidential?
“No,” Chris says. “The confidentiality of this type of data is more important than ever.
“You can implement data encryption and application security to prevent unauthorized access to this data. This is just a cybersecurity measure in the application, such as strong encryption controls or measures to circumvent this control. It also includes security controls. stronger federal privacy laws at the legislative level.
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Source: Metro
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