Flo said it would add an “incognito mode” to its cycle-tracking app as users raised data privacy concerns following the Supreme Court incident decided to overturn Roe v. Wade.
In one tweet on Friday, the company said it would soon roll out an option that would allow users to track their menstrual cycle without providing some identifying information.
“We will do everything in our power to protect our users’ data and privacy,” Flo said in a statement. another tweet. “We’re working on a new feature called incognito mode so that users can access the Flo app anonymously without providing their name or email address.”
WHY IT IMPORTANT
After a draft opinion The Supreme Court decision leaked in early May, Some experts argue data collected in cycle tracking apps can be used to build a case against users in states where abortion is currently illegal.
However, privacy around women’s health apps is not a new concern. One Review published in JMIR Analysis of femtech applications shows that 20 out of 23 data are shared with third parties and only 16 data shows privacy policy. Meanwhile, three apps have started collecting data before receiving user consent.
Again analysis by cybersecurity company and VPN Surfshark found nine out of 20 popular cycle tracking apps shared data for advertising purposes and 10 raw location data was collected, which could not be tracked to an exact address but can provide more approximate location information.
Meanwhile, Flo has faced backlash over data sharing in the past. At the beginning of 2021, it settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in connection with a complaint alleging improper disclosure of sensitive user data to third-party marketing and analytics services from Facebook, Google and others.
The company said the FTC’s settlement was not an admission of guilt and that it has since undergone a privacy audit that “did not identify any significant vulnerabilities or weaknesses in its operations.” Flo’s security moves.”
TREND TO BIGGER
Other cycle tracking apps have also released statements regarding their privacy policies following Roe’s decision. Stardust, an app that combines cycle tracking with monitoring of planetary bodies like the moon and planets, said it will soon offer end-to-end encryption in a statement. posted to its TikTok page.
Clue is based in Berlin says it uses unidentified data when used for research purposes and shares as little information as possible when working with external service providers.
“Your personally identifiable health data relating to pregnancy, miscarriage or abortion is kept private and secure,” co-CEOs Carrie Walter and Audrey Tsang said in a statement in May.
“We don’t sell it, we don’t share it with others, we won’t disclose it. We are governed by the world’s strictest privacy laws (European GDPR) and we I invest a lot of time and money in making sure we comply with them.”
