Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Period tracking app, Flo, found to be selling user data to Meta

femtechdesigndesk.substack.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 285 posts

Re: Period tracking app, Flo, found to be selling user data to Meta

#101

Post by dspillett »

boesboes wrote: post #28
aboringusername wrote: post #25

I don't actually see this as a problem, and instead it's a PSA everyone needs to internalize: If you put data onto a networked device it may be sent to some place else. If you don't want your data being shared: Use a device that does not have any networking capability (both hardware and software wise) Use a pen and paper, you can shred and destroy as you see fit. If you're using an application on a mobile device with…

that is a really fucked up view

Nah. A healthy view when dealing with the fucked up situation that is modern life.

Re: Period tracking app, Flo, found to be selling user data to Meta

#104

Post by CGamesPlay »

moffers wrote: post #19

I don’t have the right configuration of equipment to use an app like this, but does anyone know why this needs to be a service-driven app? What piece of functionality requires a server to track your health?

It doesn’t? You could easily install the tracker on the client app, no need to do it server side. In fact I bet the app in question (Flo) was doing the upload to Meta client-side.

Re: Period tracking app, Flo, found to be selling user data to Meta

#105

Post by xzjis »

TFNA wrote: post #97
mghackerlady wrote: post #90

I don't have a period, so I'm not the best person to do it, but there really needs to be a solid FOSS alternative to flo. If GNU had more women, it'd probably already exist

A comparable FOSS app called Drip has been on F-Droid since forever.

Drip has a paradoxical flaw: by trying to be extremely inclusive and making a "gender-neutral" app (without the colour pink) to include trans people, it discourages some people from using it. At least, my friend told me she thought the design was ugly and was looking for a "cute" app, so she ended up using Flo instead of Drip despite my many warnings.

I think FLOSS apps often forget that not everyone is a developer or a nerd who prioritizes privacy and ethics over design, which is a real problem since people end up using proprietary apps that data-mine them.

Re: Period tracking app, Flo, found to be selling user data to Meta

#106

Post by coldpie »

JohnFen wrote: post #81
embedding-shape wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My partner uses the app this article is about (Flo) and I have an account there too in order for her to share the data with me. I guess you could do it with some sort of P2P sync with cryptography involved locally instead, and/or E2E for stuff sent via the servers. Kind of surprised me they didn't have E2E already, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore.

Or, you know, she could just track it without any app at all and share it with you in person.

Computers are useful tools that do useful things for people. It is reasonable for people to want to use them to do things they find useful. They don't have to function like spy devices, but we've chosen to highly reward the people who have turned them into spy devices, so they do. We could choose to do something else with them instead. For example we could pass & enforce privacy regulations so they cannot function as spy devices. Or we could wheel out the guillotines so there are appropriate consequences for the creeps and sociopaths who choose to build and work at places like Facebook. Whichever, I'm flexible.

Re: Period tracking app, Flo, found to be selling user data to Meta

#107

Post by xbar »

childofhedgehog wrote: post #20

Why would anyone think that a non-HIPPA compliant app would keep medical information private to the level of security needed for medical data? Flo has definitely breached user trust, but that trust seems misplaced from the get-go.

"Because Apple and Google said my data was safe, so it must be safe in the apps. What's hippa?," said more than 50% of the population.

Re: Period tracking app, Flo, found to be selling user data to Meta

#108

Post by dwedge »

JohnFen wrote: post #81
embedding-shape wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My partner uses the app this article is about (Flo) and I have an account there too in order for her to share the data with me. I guess you could do it with some sort of P2P sync with cryptography involved locally instead, and/or E2E for stuff sent via the servers. Kind of surprised me they didn't have E2E already, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore.

Or, you know, she could just track it without any app at all and share it with you in person.

You could also be snarky without internet access

Re: Period tracking app, Flo, found to be selling user data to Meta

#109

Post by dylan604 »

newtwentysix wrote: post #94
JohnFen wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of the women I know well enough to know this about them track and predict the onset of their next period without needing an application. It isn't exactly rocket science.

Well, until some years ago we remembered dozens of phone numbers, birthdays, routes, physical addresses, due dates, etc. The trick is to "give a tool for 1-2 generations of customers" , and then they'll be fully dependent on the tool.

1-2 generations? give an advanced anything to anyone with no true knowledge of how to do it without the tool and you'll have people fully dependent in hours.

kids today cannot navigate without turn-by-turn. nobody looks at the map to get names of major streets, they just blindly follow the directions. I learned how to navigate as a kid just by being bored and staring out the window and being able to recognize things. Now, kids don't even look out the window as they keep their heads down and eyes glued to a screen.

Re: Period tracking app, Flo, found to be selling user data to Meta

#110

Post by embedding-shape »

gabeyaw wrote: post #99
mghackerlady wrote: post #90

I don't have a period, so I'm not the best person to do it, but there really needs to be a solid FOSS alternative to flo. If GNU had more women, it'd probably already exist

https://www.my28x.com/ I recently heard a talk from this founder. It's free and local, but don't think it's OSS. They have a high ORCHA rating, but waiting to see if they keep their business model this way

How does the sharing between partners happen with 28x, or is it literally local-only as in "solely for one person and no way to share with partner"?
Post reply on HN