Menstruation apps: What happens to your data and how it can be used to criminalize abortion
Two investigations warn about how data collected through menstrual tracking apps can be used by governments to monitor people’s reproductive lives, and by companies to make a profit
https://english.elpais.com/health/2025-09-14/menstruation-apps-what-happens-to-your-data-and-how-it-can-be-used-to-criminalize-abortion.htmlOpen linkView original on lemmy.nz
Y'all, the F-droid store has a lot of open source, tracker-free period-tracking apps. If you're on Android, at least, and then it all might go away in a year. BUT for now, it's helpful.
Root while you can. Or use shizuku.
Haven't had time to review these: But these 2 I’ve been rec. for.
I’m not a talented enough developer to do this, but my idea for an app to fill this need I’m offering up for anyone to take and run with.
I’d call it “Haircuts”, and it can be used by anyone of any gender to track any regularly occurring event, such as getting a haircut, mowing the lawn, or menstruation.
The key would be for the functionality to exist for people who need it, but because more than just people who have uteruses could use it, the data doesn’t incriminate anyone.
My only requirements, if I were to be the one developing it, would be that the app would be free, open source, and all data is encrypted and remains on device only.
There's already a few FOSS period tracking apps in the F-droid store. Just take one of those, fork it, and change the name and some tags or whatever. You're 95% of the way there right now.
Why discriminate by device or events when you have the LibreOffice spreadsheet? Answer: because some scenario have specific use case and you don't want to cram one application with a billion features.
For example, mowing the lawn is not regular, depends on external factors, and does not need to be analyzed. You only need to look at your garden and act accordingly.
A haircut is about as regular as a period.
A monthly event in your calendar then. There is nothing to analyze here unless you're making statistics with the growth of your hair.
I take it you’re not a period-haver?
I was talking about haircuts.
And this is about muddying the data for anyone who might be looking at reproductive data.
I know I don’t need an app for keeping tracking my haircuts, but if it compromises data and it allows someone to track their period without worry, that’s the point.
Get a calendar app. Lit. what they were designed for.
I personally don’t have a use for such an app. But some people do, as apparently it does more than simply records the dates of menstrual flow. I believe they predict when the next one will occur, and perhaps other features of which I’m not away. An app like the one I described might do the same: “it’s almost time for a haircut.”
Uhhh, correct. Refresh the main thread.
But I comprehended what you meant.
::: spoiler 🙈 It’s almost time to return my library books! :::
We don't need an app for everything. Humanity have dealt with mesturations for millenniums without them. Even locally stored data can be used as evidence if the device falls in wrong hands.
The best way to protect your information is to keep them in your head.