A popular period for fertility detection agreed with the Federal Trade Commission on allegations that it lied to users about sharing private health information with third-party companies, including Facebook and Google. Flo, an ovulation tracking program, has more than 100 million users.
In the complaint, the FTC alleges that Flo told users that their information would be kept private. Thereafter, it shared their sensitive health data, including the dates of their periods and their pregnancy plans, with outside businesses that provided marketing and analysis services to the app. Nor does it restrict the use of this data.
The move could have enabled Facebook to customize sensitive health information with user profiles and target ads more effectively. Since some users are more willing to share private information with an app like Flo than a large social network, disclosure may feel intrusive.
“Programs that collect, use and share sensitive health information can provide valuable services, but consumers need to be able to trust these programs,” said Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Consumer Protection Bureau. “We are closely monitoring whether health program developers live up to their promises and handle sensitive health information responsibly.”
The news of the settlement follows a 2019 report The Wall Street Journal, who revealed that Flo had secretly shared sensitive user data with Facebook.
A study from 2019 published in JAMA Network open also showed that apps marketed to people with depression or who want to quit smoking also share health data with Facebook and Google.
As part of the settlement, Flo must notify users of how their personal information is shared and ask permission before sharing more information in the future. The company must also receive an independent audit of its privacy practices. It admitted no offense.
In a statement by email to The edge, a spokesman for Flo said: ‘We are pleased that we have reached an agreement with the FTC and resolved the matter. We will abide by our policies and procedures as requested as part of the consent agreement and regularly provided by the FTC. We are committed to ensuring that the privacy of our users’ personal health data is absolutely essential. ”
Update January 13, 16:35 ET: This article has been updated with a statement from Flo.