Since the Supreme Court decision to reverse Roe v Wade, women and people with uteruses have been scrambling to delete their period tracking apps in the hopes that their data will not be able to be collected and used against them.
This growing fear among women comes as more states continue to put laws into effect that either ban abortions or make it significantly harder to be able to have one.
Now, because of the digital age that we are living in, it will be much harder to hide digital data around someone choosing to terminate a pregnancy.
The apps are not just for tracking menstrual cycles, they also remind users of when to expect a period, track symptoms and flow, and keep track of birth control use.
Some users also rely on the information in the apps to help them get pregnant or help them avoid a pregnancy.
Several period tracking apps have come out and ensured their users that they will be doing everything they can to offer protection.
Flo, one of the most popular period tracking apps, said in a tweet that they would be adding an “anonymous mode” that would allow users to remove their personal identity from their accounts.
“We will never sell your personal data as we understand the deep responsibility, we have to provide a safe and secure platform for you to use,” they said in another tweet. “Flo will always stand for the health of women.”
Flo has faced backlash in the past over selling users’ information to companies. The company settled with the Federal Trade Commission over alleging improper disclosure of sensitive data to third party services such as Google and Facebook.
Clue, the Europe based app, offered similar clarity to their users about privacy protection.
“If we hold your data, our obligation under European Law to protect your privately tracked data is the same, ” the company said in a tweet. “No US court or authority can override that, since we are not based in the US.”
While apps are being deleted, it may not be enough to cover other digital crumbs that are left behind.
The worry has been surrounding a leak of privacy coming from the apps, however, it is not only the apps that people should be worrying about.
In this age of modern technology, just about everything can be traced. This means Google searches, text messages, and even websites visited.
While all of this may feel helpless there are ways to track your cycle without compromising your data:
Most smartphones should have a built-in health app that will allow you to track cycles without it being traced back.
A digital or physical calendar can also help in updating information.
Finally, grabbing an old-fashioned pen and paper is a great way to keep track of your cycle without compromising any data.
