In reaction to the Supreme Court's verdict that struck down the constitutional right to abortion, developers of period trackers and fertility apps are working on ways to anonymize user data.
Health Tracking Apps Start Consumer Privacy Measures Due to Roe v. Wade Overturn
A lot of women today use tech apps such as Apple's Health, Flo, and Stardust to help them easily and conveniently monitor and manage their reproductive wellness. However, the court's decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling drew additional attention to such health-tech services because they have access to sensitive data that may be used against patients in jurisdictions where abortion is illegal.
One of the most downloaded period tracking apps, Flo, said it is already planning to offer a new "anonymous mode" for its users. This move is in response to privacy concerns raised by the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
"We will soon be implementing a 'Anonymous Mode,' which eliminates your personal identification from your Flo account, so no one can identify you," says Flo in a tweet.
A lot of period monitoring apps have been under strict scrutiny in the past few days as well. The user information gathered by these health-tech apps, according to many, is frequently shared with other companies. The data collected might be used to fuel investigations into persons seeking abortion services, according to privacy groups and legal experts.
Reproductive Health Tech Has Been Under Increasing Attention Even Before Roe v. Wade Decision
The Supreme Court's judgment prompted increased social media demands for users to erase period tracking apps from their phones and withdraw their personal information from the providers.
Flo has been reported to also have an unreliable track record in the aspect of consumer privacy protection. Back in 2019, it found itself in a Wall Street Journal report which claims that it shared users' sensitive information, such as menstrual cycle specifics and whether or not they were attempting to get pregnant, with Facebook, Google, and other third parties.
Flo was then forced into an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to compensate the victims on charges that it deceived users about how their data was handled.
Also following suit is Stardust, also a period tracking app which has recently emerged as a new source of digital concern. Many are wondering whether the application's recorded personal health data may be used to target those seeking abortion services.
However, Stardust stressed in a recent report that it has already positioned itself as the first recognized app to offer end-to-end encryption to all users. Stardust's founder Rachel Moranis noted in a statement made on the app's TikTok website on June 24 that the new privacy upgrade was originally planned to be revealed before the ruling after concerns about data protection were raised last month. The app has previously said that it will never sell user data and will preserve user privacy.
According to Moranis, because the data they store about users are encrypted, their data will not be endangered no matter how the government demands it from them.
"It is completely anonymized from your login data. We can't view it. You are the only person that can see this."
Other apps have been known to hand over user data in sensitive cases. Both activists and privacy experts believe that the latest ruling and the status of Roe v. Wade as a bastion of the citizens to protect them from invasive abortion regulation might have a huge impact on their personal privacy.
