Regardless of the app, no user wants their sensitive details, especially data regarding something so personal, to be accessed freely, sold to third parties, or shared without their knowledge. So here’s what you need to know about period-tracking apps, how they store and use your data, and which apps are considered the most secure.
How a Period Tracker App Uses Your Personal Data
Period-tracking apps often have more features than just tracking the start and stop dates of a user’s menstrual cycle. Some apps have other capabilities, including:
Providing sexual health education. Providing information about birth control methods. Notifying users of potential premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms. Showing users their ovulation cycles. Allowing users to input information about recent sexual activity. Offering users a fertility calendar. Tracking mood, exercises and physical health. Monitoring a user’s weight.
Some consumers are concerned with how any health-related app stores personal data. For example, when Google acquired Fitbit in 2021, users were worried about how their data would be impacted.
In another case, 23andMe, well-known genetic analysis company 23andMe to allow customers to learn more about their genetic makeup. 23andMe offers its customers raw data where they can gain insight into their family history. Sharing such detailed and personalized data with these types of services can present issues for people, and it may feel like companies are invading a user’s privacy.
Do Period-Tracking Apps Protect User Data?
Because period-tracking app data is so intimate, it’s understandable that users might be concerned about how it is stored, whether it’s sold to third parties, or if it could ever be shared with the public.
Marco Bellin, a data security expert and the founder and CEO of Datacappy VPN, says:
There’s uncertainty around whether or not data from these apps would suffice as evidence in a court of law. Sometimes, users forget to add an entry or enter a false start or stop date for their menstrual cycle.
It’s also understood that an app is subject to making inaccurate predictions because a user’s menstrual cycle can change depending on several external factors. Data will unlikely be accepted as evidence in a U.S. court if reasonable doubt is applied.
Some states have data privacy laws, such as California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This law gives consumers more control over their information and requires businesses to provide information about their data privacy policies.
However, legally, there is no law in place that stops a private company from selling data to the government. Unfortunately, data from period-tracking apps is not protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Without HIPAA protection, period-tracking app developers are not required to protect a user’s data. Many security experts agree that the teams behind most period trackers could be doing more to protect their users and their sensitive data.
What Is the Most Private Period-Tracking App?
People can find apps to help them with virtually every aspect of health. Besides tracking their periods, they can keep tabs on their sleep cycles, moods, and number of steps per day.
For example, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) even has an online data tracker to monitor vaccination rates, COVID-19 cases and deaths, and hospitalizations. Understandably, users want to ensure private companies and even government organizations don’t use their data in questionable ways, particularly because there’s so much information out there.
Anyone with a menstrual cycle should have confidence that their period-tracking app does not sell data, considering how intimate this type of information is. Two apps prioritize user data protection: SpotOn and Euki.
SpotOn is a period-tracking app through the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). Data from SpotOn is not shared with Planned Parenthood affiliate health care providers. According to the Planned Parenthood’s official website, the nonprofit does not share SpotOn data with health providers, clearinghouses, or health plans.
The app also follows the PPFA medical standards and guidelines. SpotOn users can anonymize their data, which is collected to improve the app experience and gain insights. This data is only shared with the SpotOn team or specific third-party analytics services vetted by PPFA’s best-in-class information security team.
Other Methods of Tracking Your Period
It’s worth pointing out that even promises of privacy aren’t guarantees against a period tracker data breach. Information associated with the Flo Health app explicitly mentioned that the company would not share data with third parties. However, it did so repeatedly. Users filed a class-action lawsuit against Flo Health in January 2021.
Here are some other methods of tracking your menstrual cycle without submitting data on a smartphone app:
Pen and paper: By recording your health information on pen and paper, you can rest assured that no one will sell your data or gain unauthorized access. Excel spreadsheet: It’s simple to track your menstrual cycle in Excel, but remember that no document or spreadsheet is completely safe, especially with cybercriminals becoming more sophisticated. Digital calendar: Some users will enter emojis or other cryptic messages into their calendar to track their period and other sexual health data.
Additionally, you can consider using the Health apps on most Apple or Google smartphones. Google is known to store medical data in the cloud, so be wary of your data settings and what could be stored. Apple’s Health app allows you to track your menstrual cycle and the data is encrypted. You may want to opt-out of backing up your Health data to iCloud. However, these Health apps are generally more secure than the apps offered on the iOS App Store or Google Play store.
Understand How Period Tracking Apps Use Your Data
It’s wise to read an app’s privacy policies carefully before downloading it. Find out whether the company can sell your data or whether outside parties can use it for any reason. Some companies partner with academic institutions and offer anonymized users’ health data for research purposes.
Staying informed about data usage at the company and app security will help you make educated decisions about using certain products that require your information. Many health apps are incredibly convenient. However, you may not find the possible privacy trade-offs acceptable.
