A UK data watchdog will be launching a review into the privacy of fertility and period tracking apps amid concerns about user safety.
Over half of women are concerned about the privacy of their data when using a period or fertility tracking app, research from the UK watchdog found.
Conducting a poll of over 1,150 people, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found that a third of women use apps like Lithuanian-born unicorn Flo Health to track fertility or periods.
Concerned about the data privacy of this category of apps, over 59% of women said they were worried about how their information was used, while 57% expressed fears about the security of these apps.
Claiming these worries were much more prominent than fears about cost and ease of use, an additional 50% of users claimed they had seen a surge in fertility-based adverts since downloading an app, with 17% saying they found the ads distressing.
Emily Keaney, deputy commissioner of regulatory policy at the ICO, said: “These statistics suggest data security is a significant concern for women when it comes to choosing an app to track their periods or plan or prevent pregnancy. That’s not surprising, given the incredibly sensitive and personal information involved.”
She said more information would need to be collected before making any further steps but noted that the ICO would “not hesitate to take regulatory action to protect the public if necessary.”