How cycle apps use your sensitive data

Who would you tell about when you last had sex and whether you used protection? And what would you do if that person shared that information with others? Your period tracking app knows exactly this kind of intimate information about you—and may share this sensitive data without asking. Yet most women aren’t aware of this.

We took a closer look at some of the most popular period apps and trackers. The result: Some period apps share sensitive data without the user’s consent.

This information will be shared

In principle, any data stored by the app can be shared. At first glance, this includes information you enter into the app—such as cycle data the app needs to function properly, like body temperature, cervical mucus, and menstrual flow. It also includes data the app doesn’t strictly need, such as age, weight, height, sexual intercourse, ovulation tests, and pregnancy tests. And it extends to additional data that makes it easier for users to track their cycle more closely, such as mood, pain, cramps, sleep, skin, hair, shift work, alcohol consumption, travel, illnesses, medications, and more.

At second glance, your user behavior also reveals a lot about you. Downloading a period tracking app, for example, suggests that you are a woman of childbearing age and, depending on the app, whether you are trying to conceive or are pregnant. Some apps are smart and offer everything in one place. This way, you can first use the app for birth control or to get pregnant, and later to track your pregnancy.

Data is shared with these parties

Internet giants like Facebook and Google thrive on exactly this kind of data. They feed their black box with your data. Using this data, they can build an increasingly accurate picture of you, making you, as a user, virtually transparent. And this happens even if you don’t have a profile on Facebook or Google. Facebook makes its money from this data, because it is strategically used by companies that optimally advertise and sell their products on the largest advertising platforms on the internet. Facebook and Google are in a league of their own here.

Your data is valuable and profitable

Women are generally considered to be quite eager to shop. The more detailed the user data is, the better a user’s purchasing behavior can be assessed and even predicted. This information is used to display ads that are perfectly tailored to you. This goes far beyond just topics or brands that interest you. For example, it ranges from specific times of day or days of the week to different moods. After all, the link between mood and purchasing behavior has now been proven. And just as well known are mood swings throughout the menstrual cycle and emotional changes during pregnancy. Maybe you’ve noticed these strange coincidences: You’re just getting your period and suddenly you see an ad for your favorite chocolate. Or you’re newly pregnant—only you and your partner know about it—and all the ads online are suddenly just about strollers and diapers.

However, the data collected about you also provides deep insights into your behavior patterns. Are you always out and about on the weekend when you’re ovulating, and do you enjoy drinking alcohol? Do you like to order fast food right before your period? All of this data, which the period tracking app collects, is combined with other data about you in that “black box,” turning you into a completely transparent customer.

Data on pregnant women is particularly lucrative

Data on pregnant women is the most sought-after. From a brand’s perspective, pregnant women are entering completely uncharted territory that needs to be shaped: Which stroller is best suited? Which diapers? Which baby food? Here, personalized advertising can have a particularly strong influence on new purchasing behavior and brand loyalty. So it’s no surprise that data from pregnant women is 15 times more valuable than regular data. It’s a lucrative business, and behind many a period and pregnancy app is a corporation that’s really just collecting data.

Here’s what you can do

You’re not at the mercy of this situation—you can take active steps to address it. Use an app or tracker based in the EU, or better yet, in Germany. Data protection regulations there are significantly stricter and more strictly enforced than in other EU countries. You can find this information in the legal notice section of the app’s website. There you’ll also find the privacy policy, which should list what data is collected and stored, and for what purpose. In addition, you can also adjust the privacy settings directly within the period tracking app.

Your sensitive data is safe with OvulaRing!

At OvulaRing, we neither share nor sell your data. In addition, your personal information—such as your name and address—is stored completely separately from your sensitive data, such as your cycle data. This makes it impossible to link the two.

Furthermore, as a medical device, OvulaRing is subject to strict safety and data protection regulations. In addition, external data protection officers regularly verify compliance with these regulations. Your sensitive data is safe with us.

References

Privacy International. No Body’s Business But Mine: How Menstruation Apps Are Sharing Your Data. https://www.privacyinternational.org/long-read/3196/no-bodys-business-mine-how-menstruations-apps-are-sharing-your-data Accessed: January 29, 2021

Coding rights. MENSTRUAPPS – How to turn your period into money (for others). https://chupadados.codingrights.org/en/menstruapps-como-transformar-sua-menstruacao-em-dinheiro-para-os-outros/ Accessed: January 29, 2021

Barbara Wimmer. Future Zone. How period tracking apps share data with Facebook. https://futurezone.at/netzpolitik/wie-menstruations-apps-daten-mit-facebook-teilen/400601066 Accessed: February 4, 2021