According to Fox Cahn, apps that collect and store data on their own servers are especially dangerous, because the data can be sold and hacked, but also because law enforcement can extort them. subpoenas to companies for user data. In one recent reportSTOP points out that some apps allow users to store data on their phones — a much safer option — but an app still won’t protect them in the face of a search warrant.
But Fox Cahn says the concerns go much deeper than assisted reproductive apps. “Basically, any health data application intended for pregnant or potentially pregnant people can be weaponized.”
Paromita Shah, executive director of Just Futures Law, said to understand how, one need only look at the country’s immigration infrastructure. The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement has long used data to survey and arrest activists and immigrants, she said. “There are no consumer privacy laws that I see that could really impact the police,” says Shah. “And they buy this data to fulfill their obligations under the Constitution.”
Even if the user decides to delete the cycle tracking app, their data may already be collected. For those who want to continue using them, McGraw says “it takes a lot of work” to make sure data isn’t shared. None of the companies answered questions about their user metrics.
“Most of what you can do, but what people rarely do, is pay a little more attention to the terms of service and privacy policies of the apps you use,” she said. But it’s only possible to delete data that’s already out there “if you have a company that is governed by state law that gives you the right to delete.”
Euki, an app released by the international group of women helping women, anticipates many of these problems. “When someone makes an app, obviously they want to make money, they want to pay for it. And the way they offset costs and generate profits in the future is data marketing,” said Susan Yanow, a reproductive health consultant and organization representative in the US. “We received a grant to create Euki, because we are a non-profit organization. We never managed to recoup that cost. The goal is to get it into the hands of as many people as possible, as safely as possible. “
Euki, which contains information about abortion, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and miscarriage, stores all data on the user’s device instead of uploading it to a third-party server. It is password protected and allows the user to set up a second password which, when entered, shows a second, fake app, keeping even the very nature of the app a secret. There is even an option to delete all collected data.
In the weeks since the draft decision was leaked, Yanow says Women Helping Women has seen a large number of users visit the organization’s website — which she hopes will lead people to the app. Use Euki.
“We truly believe that the person who owns the app should decide what to do about it [a missed period or pregnancy]if that happens,” Yanow said.
