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

Post by ceejayoz » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:09 PM UTC

johnny22 wrote: post #5

philipallstar wrote: post #3

> It seems like we can’t just necessarily leave it up to companies – or their ragtag teams of crackpot lawyers rewriting privacy policies every few months – to keep our private data private. It's not a medical requirement from a doctor, so just keep a diary if you want to. Not everything needs to be an app. All the money spent on regulations and regulators to cover increasingly niche opt-in services that are entirely…

privacy legislation would just solve the problem by itself though.

Post by inetknght » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:11 PM UTC

kortex wrote: post #36

Zak wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Privacy legislation by itself does not solve the problem; what Flo did was already illegal. Effective enforcement is also necessary.

They need to make an example out of these companies. If your whole business model is built around handling sensitive data, and you are caught shipping off that data to brokers, you should be liquidated or at least fined to within an inch of bankruptcy, as basically all of your profits are a sham.

Post by vachina » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:12 PM UTC

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…

Post by nemomarx » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:13 PM UTC

jumpconc wrote: post #37

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #18

It's really sad that we have all this technology but we can't trust any of it.

I'll make a period tracker for you for 5 bucks a month. You won't buy it, because it costs 5 bucks a month. So I'll have to find alternative monetisation strategies.

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Apr 28, 2026, 1:13 PM UTC

ceejayoz wrote: post #27

arijun wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does thumbing their noses mean? They have been paying while continuing their behavior, or not paying at all? The first seems like it could be resolved with an escalating fine schedule, and the second could be mitigated by requiring Apple/Google to remove it from the app store (one of the rare cases walled gardens are on consumers' side).

> What does thumbing their noses mean? They have been paying while continuing their behavior, or not paying at all? Malicious compliance. For example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Games_v._Apple "While Apple implemented App Store policies to allow developers to link to alternative payment options, the policies still required the developer to provide a 27% revenue share back to Apple , and heavily restricted how…