News | Should You Still Use a Period-Tracking App? A Difficult Choice Between Privacy and Freedom
Millions of people in the United States rely on period-tracking apps to plan their lives, predict ovulation, and monitor their health. Many users say these apps provide valuable advance notice when a period is late.
After Politico reported on 2022/5/2, that the U.S. Supreme Court might overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which established federal constitutional protection for abortion rights, calls to “delete your period app” spread rapidly online. Social media users warned that in states with strict abortion limits, menstrual records could become evidence in a prosecution.
“If you are using a phone app to track your period, stop immediately and delete all your data,” lawyer and activist Elizabeth McLaughlin urged on Twitter. Cybersecurity expert Eva Galperin was even more direct: “This data could be used to prosecute you.”
Are these concerns justified? Could these apps genuinely expose women to legal action? Kaiser Health News interviewed privacy and legal experts, who said the risk is real.
Who Has Access to Your Menstrual Data?
Privacy policies vary widely between apps. Some sell data to third parties, some use it for advertising, and others use it for “research.” Lucia Savage, privacy officer at digital health company Omada Health, advised: “If you cannot find the terms of service or privacy notice, do not use it.”
Most period apps are not protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) unless they bill health insurance directly. Even when HIPAA applies, de-identified data may still be shared.
A 2019 study published in BMJ found that 79% of health apps in the Google Play store routinely shared user data, with practices that were “far from transparent.”
Health AI expert Giulia De Togni noted that data about pregnant women is particularly valuable. Apps often collect health information beyond menstrual cycles and sell it to insurers or advertisers. “This data can be used to decide whether you are worth insuring and may even affect premiums,” she said.
For example, Flo Health had promised to keep user data private, but a U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation found that it shared data with Facebook and Google. The case ended in a settlement, but user trust was damaged.
Ovia Health has also faced criticism for sharing data with employers. Its privacy statement exceeds 10,000 words and describes how it “de-identifies” and sells user data. People using an employer-provided version must actively choose whether to share data.
Although the European Union’s GDPR provides strict personal-data protections, it cannot fully prevent U.S. law enforcement from obtaining data through legal proceedings.
Could the Data Become Criminal Evidence?
Yes, potentially. Privacy lawyer Deven McGraw said, “In some states, abortion could be criminalized, and data from a period app could be used as part of an investigation.” There is no clear federal rule preventing this, and state laws vary widely.
Before 2022, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden introduced the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act, which sought to prevent data brokers from selling personal information to government agencies without a court order. The bill had not yet received a vote.
In 2022, Vice purchased one week of location data for people visiting Planned Parenthood facilities for $160, including how long they stayed and where they went afterward.
“It is chilling,” Wyden said. “These large data companies must choose whether to protect women’s privacy or keep selling their data to the highest bidder.”
Will Companies Protect You?
Again, it depends. Data in the Apple Health app is encrypted and stored on the user’s phone by default, so even Apple cannot access it. Savage noted, however, that many low-income women cannot afford an iPhone and are more likely to use Android devices, where the risk of data exposure may be higher.
Although Ovia says it has “never provided user data to the government,” its privacy policy states that the company may provide data in response to a subpoena.
Apps based in Europe are not entirely insulated from legal risk. Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) lawyer Lee Tien said, “The United States has mutual legal assistance agreements with the European Union and other jurisdictions, so the government can still request data across borders.”
Have Government Officials Used Menstrual Data to Monitor Women?
Yes. In 2019, a former director of the Missouri Department of Health created a spreadsheet tracking women’s menstrual cycles in an attempt to identify failed abortions.
During the Trump administration, an anti-abortion government official also recorded the menstrual cycles of immigrant girls to prevent them from obtaining abortions.
“The way we view period apps now is similar to how we viewed facial recognition systems several years ago,” Savage said.
Should You Continue Using These Apps?
Privacy expert Amie Stepanovich said that while an app may not provide the only evidence, using any smartphone can leave data trails relevant to a criminal investigation. Law enforcement is more likely to identify who called an abortion hotline or who was near an abortion clinic, she noted, because those data may be more useful than a single menstrual record.
She added, “The only way to avoid the risk completely is not to use a smartphone.”
McGraw was more direct: “If I lived in a state that restricted abortion, I would never use an app to track my period.”
Conclusion
Period-tracking apps are undeniably convenient, but users must weigh convenience against privacy. Lee Tien put it plainly: “You need to ask yourself, ‘How much do I really need this feature?’”
News | Should You Still Use a Period-Tracking App? A Difficult Choice Between Privacy and Freedom
News | Should You Still Use a Period-Tracking App? A Difficult Choice Between Privacy and Freedom
Millions of people in the United States rely on period-tracking apps to plan their lives, predict ovulation, and monitor their health. Many users say these apps provide valuable advance notice when a period is late.
After Politico reported on 2022/5/2, that the U.S. Supreme Court might overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which established federal constitutional protection for abortion rights, calls to “delete your period app” spread rapidly online. Social media users warned that in states with strict abortion limits, menstrual records could become evidence in a prosecution.
“If you are using a phone app to track your period, stop immediately and delete all your data,” lawyer and activist Elizabeth McLaughlin urged on Twitter. Cybersecurity expert Eva Galperin was even more direct: “This data could be used to prosecute you.”
Are these concerns justified? Could these apps genuinely expose women to legal action? Kaiser Health News interviewed privacy and legal experts, who said the risk is real.
Who Has Access to Your Menstrual Data?
Privacy policies vary widely between apps. Some sell data to third parties, some use it for advertising, and others use it for “research.” Lucia Savage, privacy officer at digital health company Omada Health, advised: “If you cannot find the terms of service or privacy notice, do not use it.”
Most period apps are not protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) unless they bill health insurance directly. Even when HIPAA applies, de-identified data may still be shared.
A 2019 study published in BMJ found that 79% of health apps in the Google Play store routinely shared user data, with practices that were “far from transparent.”
Health AI expert Giulia De Togni noted that data about pregnant women is particularly valuable. Apps often collect health information beyond menstrual cycles and sell it to insurers or advertisers. “This data can be used to decide whether you are worth insuring and may even affect premiums,” she said.
For example, Flo Health had promised to keep user data private, but a U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation found that it shared data with Facebook and Google. The case ended in a settlement, but user trust was damaged.
Ovia Health has also faced criticism for sharing data with employers. Its privacy statement exceeds 10,000 words and describes how it “de-identifies” and sells user data. People using an employer-provided version must actively choose whether to share data.
Although the European Union’s GDPR provides strict personal-data protections, it cannot fully prevent U.S. law enforcement from obtaining data through legal proceedings.
Could the Data Become Criminal Evidence?
Yes, potentially. Privacy lawyer Deven McGraw said, “In some states, abortion could be criminalized, and data from a period app could be used as part of an investigation.” There is no clear federal rule preventing this, and state laws vary widely.
Before 2022, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden introduced the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act, which sought to prevent data brokers from selling personal information to government agencies without a court order. The bill had not yet received a vote.
In 2022, Vice purchased one week of location data for people visiting Planned Parenthood facilities for $160, including how long they stayed and where they went afterward.
“It is chilling,” Wyden said. “These large data companies must choose whether to protect women’s privacy or keep selling their data to the highest bidder.”
Will Companies Protect You?
Again, it depends. Data in the Apple Health app is encrypted and stored on the user’s phone by default, so even Apple cannot access it. Savage noted, however, that many low-income women cannot afford an iPhone and are more likely to use Android devices, where the risk of data exposure may be higher.
Although Ovia says it has “never provided user data to the government,” its privacy policy states that the company may provide data in response to a subpoena.
Apps based in Europe are not entirely insulated from legal risk. Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) lawyer Lee Tien said, “The United States has mutual legal assistance agreements with the European Union and other jurisdictions, so the government can still request data across borders.”
Have Government Officials Used Menstrual Data to Monitor Women?
Yes. In 2019, a former director of the Missouri Department of Health created a spreadsheet tracking women’s menstrual cycles in an attempt to identify failed abortions.
During the Trump administration, an anti-abortion government official also recorded the menstrual cycles of immigrant girls to prevent them from obtaining abortions.
“The way we view period apps now is similar to how we viewed facial recognition systems several years ago,” Savage said.
Should You Continue Using These Apps?
Privacy expert Amie Stepanovich said that while an app may not provide the only evidence, using any smartphone can leave data trails relevant to a criminal investigation. Law enforcement is more likely to identify who called an abortion hotline or who was near an abortion clinic, she noted, because those data may be more useful than a single menstrual record.
She added, “The only way to avoid the risk completely is not to use a smartphone.”
McGraw was more direct: “If I lived in a state that restricted abortion, I would never use an app to track my period.”
Conclusion
Period-tracking apps are undeniably convenient, but users must weigh convenience against privacy. Lee Tien put it plainly: “You need to ask yourself, ‘How much do I really need this feature?’”
Story source:
Collected online