Mozilla conducted an audit of six popular period-tracking apps, grading them on privacy practices. Only one app, Euki, received a perfect score of 10, while others failed to meet basic privacy standards. The audit, conducted in partnership with Harvard's Berkman Klein Center, revealed significant data-sharing risks among period-tracking apps, raising concerns about user privacy and data security. The findings highlight the need for greater transparency and accountability in health-tracking applications, especially those handling sensitive reproductive health data.
The astrology-themed app Stardust scored the lowest, earning just 2 out of 10. According to the BBC, the app shared users' reproductive health details with third-party trackers from the moment it opened, without user consent. Mozilla researcher Shoshana Wodinsky found that the app transmitted data to analytics firm Rudder, which routes data to unspecified destinations. Stardust also sent a Facebook ad identifier, linking in-app behavior to the platform's existing user profiles. The company denied receiving any legal demands for user data.
Euki, a nonprofit-run tracker, earned a perfect score for not requiring an account, keeping health data on the phone, and allowing users to set a PIN, schedule automatic deletion, or use a decoy screen. Its only weakness was an in-app browser that loaded web trackers, though it reset identifiers between visits. The audit underscores the urgent need for better privacy protections in health apps, especially as more users turn to digital tools for managing their reproductive health.
Source: wired
