Two of the most popular period trackers in the US, Flo and Clue, have more than 55 million users combined. The Berlin-based period tracker app Clue says it does not store sensitive personal data without the user’s explicit permission. They have helped make women’s lives easier in many ways, from family planning and detecting early signs of health issues to choosing the perfect time for a holiday. Nearly a third of American women have been using them, according to a 2019 survey published by the Kaiser Family Foundation. “But every company has their individual storage and privacy policy about how they use and how long they store data,” Spector added.Ĭycle trackers are popular for a reason. “If they are trying to prosecute a woman for getting an illegal abortion, they can subpoena any app on their device, including period trackers,” said Sara Spector, a Texas-based criminal defense attorney, and ex-prosecutor. In a state where abortion is a crime, prosecutors could request information collected by these apps when building a case against someone. As with various other apps, cycle trackers collect, retain and at times share some of their users’ data. The trend already started last month when a draft supreme court opinion that suggested the court was set to overturn Roe v Wade was leaked, and has only intensified since the court on Friday revoked the federal right to abortion.
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