Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Social Media
  3. News

Period-tracking apps are sharing people’s intimate data with Facebook

Emily Price
By

Some period-tracking apps are sending Facebook personal information about the women who use them.

In order to work, the apps require women to enter information about their menstrual cycle as well as information about their sexual activity. According to a report released Monday by the United Kingdom-based advocacy group Privacy International, a number of those apps then share that information with Facebook, Buzzfeed reports.

Specifically, the group said the apps MIA Fem and Maya sent information about women’s use of contraception, when their monthly periods were, and whether or not they experienced symptoms like cramps and swelling to the social network. 

For some perspective, the app Maya currently has over 5 million downloads. The makers of MIA say that it has more than 2 million users around the world. We’ve reached out to the developers of both apps for comment and additional details on how they use user data, but have yet to receive a response. Maya’s owner, Plackal Tech, told Buzzfeed that it doesn’t share any personally identifiable data or medical data with Facebook. 

Data is being shared with Facebook through the social network’s Software Developer Kit (SDK). The SDK allows developers to collect user data so Facebook can show users targeted ads. Beyond being used for advertising, the data can also be collected by Facebook and used outside of the social network.

Facebook has reportedly reached out to the developers of both apps to discuss how they are potentially violating the company’s terms of service. Facebook requires app developers to disclosed to users what information — if any — is being shared with Facebook. In the case of the two apps, it seems like that is not happening. The fault in this particular situation appears to be with the app developers, not the social network.

Privacy, in general, has been a growing concern as it pertains to Facebook, specifically following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook $5 billion over its use of private data in the wake of the scandal.

During court proceedings for a class-action lawsuit focused on Cambridge Analytica, the company’s lawyer, Orin Snyder, said that there is “no expectation of privacy” on Facebook.

“There is no invasion of privacy at all, because there is no privacy,” Snyder said while trying to convince U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria toss out the lawsuit. Snyder argued that users had given consent to share their data with third parties. “You have to closely guard something to have a reasonable expectation of privacy,” he said.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made a number of statements over the past year stressing the company’s desire to make a privacy-focused social platform.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
What is Ambient Mode on YouTube?
The red and white YouTube logo on a phone screen. The phone is on a white background.

YouTube recently announced a number of changes to its video-watching interface. One of these changes is a new feature known as Ambient Mode.

In this guide, we'll go over exactly what Ambient Mode on YouTube is and show you how to enable or disable it.
What is Ambient Mode on YouTube?
Ambient Mode is basically a lighting effect that surrounds a given YouTube video with a soft, glowing light that usually reflects the colors featured in the video itself. The effect kind of resembles the glow of a television screen in a room where the lights are off (which YouTube has said was the inspiration for the effect). YouTube also said that Ambient Mode is supposed to make the video-watching experience of its dark mode "more immersive." Ambient Mode was officially announced in late-October 2022 and is available on the web, Android, and iOS.

Read more
What is Twitter Blue and is it worth it?
Twitter Blue menu option on a white screen background which is on a black background.

If you spend time on Twitter, you've probably heard the phrase "Twitter Blue" at some point and wondered what exactly it is. We're not talking about the signature shade of blue featured in its logo -- we're talking about the premium version of Twitter.

That's right. There's a paid tier for Twitter that many people don't even know exists that launched in July of 2021. And then relaunched again under Elon Musk's ownership in November 2022. Don't worry -- we'll explain everything below.
What is Twitter Blue?

Read more
What is Mastodon? Here’s why everyone’s talking about this Twitter alternative
Series of four mobile screenshots showing Mastodon's sign-up process.

By now you've no doubt heard about Mastodon. It's a social media platform that's been bandied about as an alternative to Twitter, particularly among users who aren't comfortable with the direction Twitter is going in now that Elon Musk is at the helm.

In fact, since Musk first announced that he was planning on buying the popular microblogging platform, Mastodon has garnered quite a bit of attention and experienced significant growth. But though you've likely heard about Mastodon, you may not be familiar with how it works or haven't decided whether or not it would be a good fit for you if you ever choose to leave Twitter and need an alternative social media platform. Don't worry. We've got you covered. In this guide, we'll get you up to speed on everything you need to know about social media's buzziest new platform.
What is Mastodon?

Read more