Apps that log your visits are growing, and privacy worries are rising

In short: More apps are tracking where people go and what they do for health and wellness, but experts warn about privacy risks and unreliable data.

What's going on

Apps that record visits and health routines grew quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries used contact tracing apps, which sent exposure alerts using Bluetooth (a short range phone signal, like a digital handshake). Apple and Google made tools that helped governments build these systems, and together they run most smartphones in the US.

The same kind of tracking is now common in many health and wellness apps. This includes opioid recovery apps, period trackers, mental health apps, and fitness tools. Reviews and research have raised concerns that these apps can collect very sensitive details, such as location history, pregnancy and period information, mental health notes, and advertising IDs (a tag that helps companies follow you across apps).

A key worry is data sharing. Some apps use built-in tracking tools from other companies, which can allow profiling of users. In some cases, health data can end up with data brokers, which are companies that buy and sell personal information, sometimes to advertisers or insurers.

What to watch

Rules are uneven. Many commercial health apps are not covered by HIPAA (a US health privacy law for doctors and hospitals), which can make data sales legal even when users do not expect it. People can also run into accuracy problems, since Bluetooth and user-entered information can be incomplete or wrong, like trying to rebuild a day’s travel from a few blurry receipts.

Privacy experts suggest checking app permissions, turning off optional tracking, and choosing apps that store data only on your phone and delete it quickly.

Source: NYTimes