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Are your private health apps really private?

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Tracking health and lifestyle conditions and situations on a mobile app has become almost the norm these days. You have all of your private health, fitness and lifestyle information right at your proverbial fingertips. But, is the information stored on your app on your personal smartphone really private?

Probably not. Recent research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association declared that most of the apps out there are collecting your information and sending them along to third parties. The study looked at 211 mobile apps for diabetes and found that over 80% had no privacy policies which means they can pretty much do what they want with your information. The other 20% or so of the apps that had some manner or privacy policy, didn’t really protect your information at all.

Your app information regarding your lifestyle and health matters are now public knowledge and there are no laws anywhere in the country that specifically addresses this situation. Anyone and everyone, including marketers and advertisers, can mine your information and use it.

This seems to be the case for almost all mobile apps that users are downloading. Very few, regardless of what they are used for, contain any sort of privacy policy and even if they do, they are likely to be so vague as to allow for your information to be used and sold to third parties. Health and fitness apps are notorious for containing vague or no privacy policies at all.

To even come close to your information being protected, your app has to be attached to some manner of medical device that you need to survive. Even then, the FDA may not recognize it as a medically necessary device. The Federal Trade Commission has developed an app that can be used by these app developers that will guide them with regard to current federal law but there are currently no federal requirements, or laws, that the apps creators must subject themselves to.

The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, based in San Diego, has stated that, even if there are privacy policies attached to your app, companies transmit your data anyway. Often the data is sent to unsecured servers over unsecured lines to where anyone, even friends and family, could pick your information right out of the thin air.

Many people have reported already receiving direct advertising over their mobile devices that concern their health conditions or fitness lifestyle. The Clearinghouse advises that you avoid these apps but, if you are determined to download one, to be aware of what their policies are.

PHOTO CREDIT: Julien Fernandes