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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

#61

Post by bombcar »

inetknght wrote: post #53
kortex wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Fined into bankruptcy and all managers up to and including the CEO criminally charged.

There needs to be penalties that piece the "limited liability" because otherwise it's just "pay to get away with it" as we currently have.

I've been for a "corporate death penalty" (if companies are people, they can be executed) which would result in the shareholders losing everything along with executives being perp-walked.

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

#62

Post by toast0 »

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?

I'm not familiar with this app, but a service lets you do potentially nice things like cross device sync and sharing observations with trusted others.

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

#63

Post by nemomarx »

tsukikage wrote: post #45
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…

Also: if you are not paying the service provider for the service, you are not their customer - you are their product.

If you do pay for a subscription, how can you be sure you're still not the product? What stops them from double dipping here?

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

#64

Post by jeffbee »

Does anyone happen to know if Meta and Google have ever recovered these judgements from the app developers? All of the industry terms of service specifically forbid SDK licensees from sending sensitive personal data to the platforms, and they require the licensee to indemnify the platform against any judgement that arises from violating those terms. See Meta's statement on this verdict, which seems pretty reasonable to me. This 100% looks like the fault of the app developer:

“User privacy is important to Meta, which is why we do not want health or other sensitive information and why our terms prohibit developers from sending any.” Meta maintains that any transmission of sensitive health data is due to a failure to comply with its terms of use.

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

#65

Post by Schiendelman »

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #18

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

I think that kind of thinking is similar to the "both sides" stuff in politics. There's a meaningful difference in trustworthiness between different options.

For instance, if you need to track your period, the built in iOS apps are secure, especially if you're using advanced icloud encryption.

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

#66

Post by loudmax »

nemomarx wrote: post #63
tsukikage wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also: if you are not paying the service provider for the service, you are not their customer - you are their product.

If you do pay for a subscription, how can you be sure you're still not the product? What stops them from double dipping here?

If you're paying for a subscription, the company might sell your data. If you're using a commercial service for free, they are certainly selling your data.

Having said that, you're right to be suspicious of commercial services, even that you pay for. Someone can found a startup with a strong commitment to customer privacy and the best of intentions, but a few acquisitions or near bankruptcies later, those commitments will go out the window.

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

#67

Post by nemomarx »

loudmax wrote: post #66
nemomarx wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you do pay for a subscription, how can you be sure you're still not the product? What stops them from double dipping here?

If you're paying for a subscription, the company might sell your data. If you're using a commercial service for free, they are certainly selling your data. Having said that, you're right to be suspicious of commercial services, even that you pay for. Someone can found a startup with a strong commitment to customer privacy and the best of intentions, but a few acquisitions or near bankruptcies later, those commitments…

Relevant to this case, since they have a free version and premium one, they would probably just sell data from both sets of customers. It would be leaving money on the table otherwise, right?

The small chance that they might go out of their way to not sell premium users data doesn't seem worth much.

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

#68

Post by 2ndorderthought »

juggina wrote: post #39
ronbenton wrote: post #33

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

[flagged]

Meta is a defense contractor. They absolutely would do this for money if asked. Just like how a good portion of HN would.

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

#69

Post by 2ndorderthought »

juggina wrote: post #56
freeAgent wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you stop having a period for a few months and then start again, it may be worth buying some location data during that time to see if you were near any medical offices that may have offered illegal abortion services.

Could they get a warrant for that data anyway?

What reason would they have to ask for a warrant without that data?

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

#70

Post by HumblyTossed »

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…

Forest for the trees, dude.
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