Experts warn that personal data from menstrual cycle tracking apps is at risk of being exploited by private companies. A report by the University of Cambridge reveals that these apps, often marketed as empowering, primarily profit by selling sensitive user information. This poses risks for women's privacy and safety, including job discrimination and limited access to reproductive health services. The report calls for better regulation and the creation of public health alternatives that prioritize user consent and data governance in the fast-growing femtech sector.
Public health bodies should launch alternatives to commercial period tracker apps, as women's personal data is at risk of being harvested by private companies.
Cycle tracking app data could result in risks to job prospects, workplace monitoring, health insurance discrimination, and even limit access to abortion.
Apps must provide clear consent options rather than all-or-nothing data collection, advocating for better governance of the femtech industry.
The financial worth of data collected by cycle tracking apps is vastly underestimated, representing serious privacy and safety risks for women.
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