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Period Tracking Apps: Are Your Data Safe?
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A new report exposes how menstrual cycle data is being used by advertisers and possibly by government entities, raising serious privacy concerns.
Period tracking applications are a “gold mine” of data for advertisers, according too a recent report, as this facts is highly valuable for customer profiling and targeted marketing campaigns.
The report, released by the University of Cambridge’s Minderoo Center for Technology and Democracy on Tuesday, June 10, warns that the dangers to users extend beyond targeted advertising. This data, if misused, could impact employment opportunities, lead to workplace monitoring, create health insurance discrimination, and enable cyberstalking. The study also cautions that it has been used to restrict abortion access in the U.S.
Millions of individuals worldwide utilize period tracking apps. A 2024 study estimated that the top three apps have been downloaded over 250 million times globally.These platforms are operated by companies that monetize the vast amounts of user data they collect, especially pregnancy-related data. the University of Cambridge report indicates that pregnancy data is 200 times more valuable to advertisers compared to data on age, gender, or location.
Investigations by Privacy International,a U.K.-based nonprofit, in 2019 and 2020, revealed that several apps shared personal data directly with advertisers. A subsequent study, published on May 28, discovered that while major menstrual app companies have improved their data privacy practices, they continue to collect device data from users in the U.K. and U.S. without “no meaningful consent.”
“Period tracking apps collect a vast number of different kinds of information.”
Stefanie Felsberger, a sociologist and the lead author of the University of Cambridge report, conducted interviews with period tracking app users in Austria to understand their motivations and tracking habits.She noted that many participants did not consider their menstrual data as particularly personal and were unaware of its significant commercial worth.
“Period tracking apps collect a vast number of different kinds of information,” Felsberger told Gizmodo. “They don’t just collect information about the menstrual cycle as such, they also collect information about people’s reproductive choices, sexual activities, their wellbeing, health, [and] medication intake,” she saeid. She added that these apps also gather background information on users, such as age, gender, IP addresses, app behavior, and device details.
“We have limited and also changing knowlege about how and where this data has been shared and who has access to it,” Felsberger stated.
In the U.S., menstrual tracking apps are classified as general wellness devices, meaning the data they collect lacks specific legal protections, she explained.This absence of safeguards allows not only advertisers but also government officials to access and potentially misuse menstrual data to restrict abortion access.
Real-World Examples of Data Misuse
Felsberger’s report highlights two cases where menstrual data was used to limit abortion access, even though not directly from period tracking apps. these examples illustrate how governments can leverage this information to restrict abortion access at both state and federal levels.
In 2019, the Missouri Department of Health utilized menstrual tracking data to investigate alleged failed abortions, tracking patients’ medical ID numbers, fetal gestational ages, and dates of medical procedures. This inquiry led to an attempt to revoke the licence of St. Louis’ Planned Parenthood clinic, then the state’s sole abortion provider, resulting in a year-long legal battle that ultimately restored the clinic’s license.
During President Donald Trump’s governance, the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement monitored the menstrual cycles of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in the U.S., aiming to prevent them from obtaining abortions, even in cases of rape. An MSNBC freedom of information request revealed a spreadsheet detailing the minors’ menstrual cycles, pregnancy durations, whether the sex was consensual, and abortion requests.
These instances highlight the risks of inadequate protection of period tracking data, particularly following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which has led to fragmented abortion access across the U.S. Currently, abortion is banned in 13 states, with significant restrictions in 11 more.
The European Union and the U.K. offer greater legal protections for period tracking apps, but according to felsberger, “they are not often implemented very well.” She notes that privacy policies tend to be “very vague,” making it arduous for users to understand who can access their data.
“App developers and companies have a very large responsibility, as they do present themselves as providing people with this opportunity to learn about their menstrual cycles,” she said. “I think they should also do their utmost to keep people’s data safe and be transparent about the way that they use data.” She also emphasized the need for stronger federal regulations,especially in the U.S.
Given the valuable health insights these apps provide, it is unrealistic to expect users to abandon them entirely. However, Felsberger suggests switching to non-commercial period tracking apps that prioritize data privacy, operated by non-profit organizations or research institutions that do not share user information with third parties.
As reproductive health access becomes increasingly precarious in the U.S., understanding the potential exploitation of menstrual data by third parties is crucial.
“menstrual tracking data is being used to control people’s reproductive lives,” Felsberger stated. “it should not be left in the hands of private companies.”
