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Period-tracking apps share sensitive user data, Mozilla study finds
🇬🇷 Greece /Technology

Period-tracking apps share sensitive user data, Mozilla study finds

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A new Mozilla Foundation study reveals that period-tracking apps collect and share sensitive user data.
  • Apps like Stardust and Spot On were found to share health information with third parties, including data brokers and advertising companies.
  • Concerns are rising that this data could be used in legal cases, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 abortion ruling.

Period-tracking apps, designed to help users monitor their menstrual cycles, are under scrutiny for their data-sharing practices. A new investigation by the Mozilla Foundation highlights how some of these applications collect and distribute sensitive user information, raising significant privacy concerns. The study examined six popular apps: Flo, Clue, Stardust, Spot On, Period Calendar, and Euki.

Your data is private. Period.

— Stardust app websiteThis quote from the Stardust app's website is presented as a commitment to user privacy, which Mozilla's investigation later questioned.

While some apps maintain robust data protection policies, others have been found to share user data with major tech companies like Google, Meta, and TikTok, as well as lesser-known partners. The Stardust app, for instance, was found to share reproductive health data with the data management company RudderStack, despite its privacy policy stating, "Your data is private. Period." Information shared included pregnancy status, contraception use, and mood, according to the BBC report that obtained Mozilla's findings.

Stardust defended its practices, stating RudderStack acts solely as a technical channel for analytics and does not access or use personal data for its own purposes, bound by contract. However, Mozilla's research indicated that this sharing was not disclosed in Stardust's privacy policy. Similarly, the Spot On app, developed by Planned Parenthood, was found to direct users to the organization's website for certain features, which Mozilla deemed less secure. The website shares user-sought medical care information with a data analytics firm.

Your data is private. Period.

— Stardust app websiteThis quote from the Stardust app's website is presented as a commitment to user privacy, which Mozilla's investigation later questioned.

Experts are increasingly worried that such data could be exploited in legal proceedings, particularly following the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn federal abortion protections. Even if apps do not directly share health details, they often collect technical data for advertising purposes, such as user identifiers or device information, which can be used for targeted ads. Sara Geoghegan, director of the Consumer Privacy Program, emphasized that even the disclosure of app usage can be problematic.

Your data is private. Period.

— Stardust app websiteThis quote from the Stardust app's website is presented as a commitment to user privacy, which Mozilla's investigation later questioned.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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