Photo Courtesy of Colin Lloyd Source: Unsplash

The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade has made waves around the world and most significantly, impacted the rights of women in the United States. Whether you are mourning or feel indifferent about the latest decision to overturn the landmark ruling that had permitted abortions during the first two trimesters of pregnancy since 1973, it is important to think about how this will impact women (Mangan, 2022).

A recent article by Wired analyzed the potential ways in which the data of users who utilize fertility and period apps can put women seeking abortions at risk. As the article states, “Fertility and period-tracking apps vary, but most allow users to manually enter when their periods start and end, whether they use birth control, the length of their cycle, and their moods” (Elliott, 2022).

What Exactly Does This Mean for Women Who Use Period and Fertility Tracking Apps?

The recent overturning of Roe v. Wade could mean that the information women input on such apps could be weaponized against them. The data and any other information that is added to apps such as Flo, Clue, Glow, and Pinkbird (just to name a few) could become a “rich source of data for law enforcement looking to punish women if abortion is outlawed or criminalized” (Elliott, 2022). Privacy experts are concerned with how data collected by period tracking and fertility apps could be used against women.

According to Albert Fox Cahn, Executive Director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP), women will have a harder time utilizing technology as they will be afraid of how this technology might be used against them in a court of law. Users will now have the added uncertainty of how their data is utilized, stored, and even sold by such apps.

Fox Cahn says that apps that collect and store data on their own servers, “are particularly dangerous, both because the data can be sold and hacked, but also because law enforcement can serve companies with subpoenas for user data.”

My Personal Concerns about My Data

As a woman, I have used Femometer to track my menstrual cycle. However, after reading the article by Wired, I am greatly concerned with how my data can be used, stored, sold, and even potentially used against me. I am not only concerned about myself, but I think of my close friends and family members who use similar apps.

It is devastating to learn that as users we do not have any control over our personal data. I am guilty of signing up for an app without thoroughly reading or understanding the terms and conditions. I know that I am not the only one, and I believe that apps have a responsibility to provide concise and clear terms and conditions that can be understood by all users regardless of language or educational level. When terms and conditions are lengthy and difficult to comprehend, this makes it almost inevitably impossible for users to know how their data will be used or protected.

As a user and most of all as a woman, my personal health data should NEVER be used or sold without my consent or knowledge. With the recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, I wish law enforcement did not have the authority to use and seek the private information added on such apps. I believe that more users including myself will stop using health apps at least for some time as there is a major concern with how our personal information will be leaked and used by law enforcement to track what is happening with our own bodies.

Law enforcement is allowed to request a warrant and obtain the personal data of users that is gathered by the apps. There has already been major concerns around data privacy, and this recent development only makes the situation worse.

Without wanting to get “too political” data privacy is a major issue and concern for many consumers. Whether you are personally affected or agree/disagree with the recent Roe v. Wade ruling, the truth is that no one’s information is protected or “safe.” At any given moment, our information can be leaked or obtained without our consent or knowlegde.

Questions to Consider

Regardless of your stance on the overturning of Roe v. Wade, do you believe that Law Enforcement should be allowed to obtain personal data from (health) fertility and period apps? How should such apps protect the personal information and data of their users?

References:

Mangan, D., & Breuninger, K. (2022, June 24). Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending 50 years of federal abortion rights. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/24/roe-v-wade-overturned-by-supreme-court-ending-federal-abortion-rights.html

Elliott, V. (2022, June 7). Period and Fertility Apps Can Be Weaponized in a Post-Roe World. Wired. Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.wired.com/story/fertility-data-weaponized/