A lot of women have a digital diary on their phones in the form of their menstrual tracking app. Seriously, it gets all the intimate details of your life: when you masturbated, how often you have sex, moods, your feelings, if you’re trying to have a baby and when your period comes.
As women, we are taught to track and know our bodies. Sometimes on the apps you can even add in sleep, calories, cravings and more. All in one app, and it knows your body better than you do!
Newsflash: that app might know a little too much about you. And not in a nice, helpful way.
Have you ever thought about where is all of that deeply personal data going?
You would think that this sort of information would be protected. I mean, it is health information. But it’s not exactly private. Most of these apps are not covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA is the main US law meant to protect medical information.
Period tracking apps are classified as tech companies. Legally, your data isn’t protected health information, it’s just data.
Scary, right?
This highlights a big policy gap. With no strong federal regulations, companies collect, store and share data with third parties.
It’s no secret that companies share our information with advertisers, but it is a lot different when it is your health information. Not just, oh you like this shirt, here’s a similar shirt!
This is what we need to be aware of:
- Third party sharing: apps share intimate data with places like Facebook and Google for advertising purposes
- Data broker sale: apps sell user information, health history, location, using health information as a marketing strategy
- Legal risks: data could be used against users in investigations with reproductive health or abortion access
- Security gaps: apps have been flagged for storing data in other ways that allow for tracking like your IP addresses
- Discrimination: data brokers and tech advisors can use it to discriminate against users for insurance and employment
Unfortunately, our information is also extremely valuable to them. The information that someone is expecting a baby is up to 200 times more valuable to advertisers than data about age or location.
It’s like a prize.
And to be dramatic, think of it like this: your body’s personal information is being handled on a platform that doesn’t fully protect it, without your permission.
After the supreme court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, many women decided to delete their apps in fear of their data being used as evidence that they had been pregnant and to prosecute them for having an abortion.
Image from https://www.instagram.com/p/CfMoyATueEb/?igsh=NHl1bnBsMWc5cTA0
Women should be able to have private apps that they can see/track their ovulation, fertilization, period, moods, sex. It is healthy to know when your last period was, if you’re on track, etc. Even worse, the lack of transparency is enough to question what is really going on.
And this issue doesn’t affect everyone equally.
People with fewer resources or less access to healthcare may rely more heavily on these apps for information and support. Additionally, transgender men and nonbinary individuals who menstruate may face unique challenges, as many of these apps are designed with a very narrow idea of who their user is.
Also, conversations around data privacy often highlight how those with the most social and political power (usually straight white men) are the least likely to have their bodies or personal health data scrutinized in the same way. Gaps in policy don’t just exist, they also reflect who’s experiences are overlooked and who’s are prioritized.
The US data privacy laws are inconsistent and outdated. The technology is growing fast but the laws are not.
This sort of leaves users in a gray area. Now that we know there is more behind the apps, what exactly do we do now?
- Start paying attention. I’m not saying to stop tracking or delete your app. We need to be aware of what we are agreeing to.
- Put pressure on companies/lawmakers. We need to be protected, transparently. We are not data.
- Talk about it. As normalized as these apps are, it’s even more important to keep the conversation going and question how they actually work.
Period tracking apps are meant to help us understand our bodies, not expose them. They are useful, but only in a system that protects the people using them.
Instead of asking “when is my next cycle?” maybe we should be asking “who else knows the answer… and what are they doing with it?”
If you want more information on specific apps and what they do or do not do, click here.
Featured Image Credits: https://www.instagram.com/p/COk-PzAHNM9/?igsh=MWk3eTFoM3E2MGNwaw%3D%3D
This was really eye-opening. I feel like a lot of people use these apps without ever thinking about where that information actually goes, and it’s kind of scary how unprotected it is. The part about data being used in legal situations after Roe v. Wade especially stood out. It makes you realize this isn’t just about ads, it can have real consequences. I also liked how you pointed out that it doesn’t affect everyone the same way, that added a really important layer to the conversation. Definitely makes me think twice about what I’m agreeing to when I use these apps.