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

femtechdesigndesk.substack.com

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

#111

Post by embedding-shape »

xzjis wrote: post #105
TFNA wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 o…

That sounds not so much as a flaw, as a conscious product decision. And to be honest, doesn't sound like a bad one, not every app needs to work or look the same way, as long as people have choices, they can be responsible for the choices they make. If someone wants a safer but boring app or if someone wants a cute "who gives a fuck about privacy" app, both should be fine.

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

#112

Post by embedding-shape »

CGamesPlay wrote: post #104
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.

> It doesn’t?

I'm guessing P2P technology isn't really sufficiently easy for developers yet, so when you have two users using an app that are supposed to share something between the two, most of us default to building server-side services. That + the "dynamic" list of articles and "help" Flo offer I'm guessing is the main reason for them having servers in the first place.

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

#113

Post by sevenseacat »

frankdenbow wrote: post #22

its crazy to me that Flo is used so widely, as its started by Russian men and their treatment of data has bee public for a while, it just hasnt spread fast enough. I know theres at least one other option called Calessa ( http://Calessa.app )

There's a whole heap of different period tracking apps these days. I've been using Clue for probably a decade.

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

#115

Post by lagniappe »

forgotaccount3 wrote: post #41
juggina wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

People in power want the information to identify a narrower set of people who may have been pregnant and then did not have a child and so may have had an abortion. And facebook doesn't care about people's rights when those people in power are able to block Facebook from acquiring some new startup they want to buy, so facebook is willing to share the information.

Are we assuming the lack of a recorded period is the criteria? If yes, what if you just forgot to add it that month, or have hormonal issues, or abnormal BMI?

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

#116

Post by voakbasda »

nwatson wrote: post #98
giantg2 wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why get a warrant when you can just buy it? This whole data economy has significantly undermined privacy, including 4th amendment protections.

Admissible evidence probably requires parallel construction and then a warrant. The purchased data is the catalyst but not legally actionable.

Parallel construction like that is unambiguously fruit from the poison tree. It should never be allowed, and the fact that it is used routinely is one of the many ongoing travesties in the US.

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

#117

Post by pavel_lishin »

lagniappe wrote: post #115
forgotaccount3 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People in power want the information to identify a narrower set of people who may have been pregnant and then did not have a child and so may have had an abortion. And facebook doesn't care about people's rights when those people in power are able to block Facebook from acquiring some new startup they want to buy, so facebook is willing to share the information.

Are we assuming the lack of a recorded period is the criteria? If yes, what if you just forgot to add it that month, or have hormonal issues, or abnormal BMI?

You're welcome to suggest to your lawyer this particular defense.

The people prosecuting women for abortions aren't looking for reasons not to arrest and prosecute them.

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

#118

Post by cogman10 »

lagniappe wrote: post #115
forgotaccount3 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People in power want the information to identify a narrower set of people who may have been pregnant and then did not have a child and so may have had an abortion. And facebook doesn't care about people's rights when those people in power are able to block Facebook from acquiring some new startup they want to buy, so facebook is willing to share the information.

Are we assuming the lack of a recorded period is the criteria? If yes, what if you just forgot to add it that month, or have hormonal issues, or abnormal BMI?

Lots of reasons why you would miss a period that aren't pregnancy related. But that's not the point. Missing a period opens you up to further scrutiny and investigation by the state. Now they will start seeing if you've made out of town trips or perhaps subpoena your chat log to see what you've said to friends and family. It's not enough to prosecute, it is enough to start an investigation.

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

#119

Post by voakbasda »

embedding-shape wrote: post #111
xzjis wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 o…

That sounds not so much as a flaw, as a conscious product decision. And to be honest, doesn't sound like a bad one, not every app needs to work or look the same way, as long as people have choices, they can be responsible for the choices they make. If someone wants a safer but boring app or if someone wants a cute "who gives a fuck about privacy" app, both should be fine.

The government does NOT let people have choices in many cases. People should NOT be forced to choose between medical privacy and potential prosecution.

That your comment even implied that would be acceptable in this context is appalling.

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

#120

Post by peen1slicker »

ndisn wrote: post #102
ronbenton wrote: post #33

Hey surely Meta wouldn’t send that data to a government interested in regulating women’s reproductive rights

[flagged]

This is a very insightful comment. Can you expand on it a little for the rest of the hackers here who might be less smart than you?
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