Femtech Apps Pose Privacy Risks: Report
Marketed in soft colours and wellness language, many CTAs collect far more than just cycle dates
Hyderabad: Menstrual tracking apps, widely promoted as tools for empowerment and health management, are harvesting vast amounts of deeply personal data — including details about sexual activity, mental health and even political leanings — often without users’ full understanding, according to a report by the University of Cambridge’s Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy.
While these apps, also known as cycle tracking apps (CTAs), collect and commodify personal data, users are often unaware that their health information is being sold for profit. The report warns that the financial value of the data they surrender is "vastly underestimated" and calls for urgent regulatory oversight, said the report.
“I started using one of these apps during my college days because my friends said it could be ‘life-changing’,” said Amritha, a PhD student. “The intention was just to track my menstrual cycle — more out of convenience than anything else. Among all the things one has to remember, it just struck one thing off the list.”
Over time, she noticed a shift. “The way it started asking personal questions under the garb of "personalising" the app experience felt intrusive,” she explained. “For example, if I entered that I was stressed, it would ask, ‘Does it happen often?’ or ‘Do you think you need to connect with a doctor?’ These prompts soon translated into ads — for doctors, online tests and therapy apps.”
Marketed in soft colours and wellness language, many CTAs collect far more than just cycle dates. The report reveals they gather data on contraception, pregnancy, fantasies, mental health and even political views — and often sell this information to third parties for profit.
The consequences can be serious. Such data can be used for targeted ads, but also opens users up to cyberstalking, job discrimination, denial of health insurance and restricted access to reproductive care. In countries where abortion is criminalised, simply downloading a period tracker may flag someone for digital surveillance.
“Many users unknowingly share intimate details — from masturbation habits to contraception methods — leaving behind a digital footprint that can be exploited,” the report says. For women in abusive relationships or conservative environments, the exposure can be dangerous, even life-threatening.
Not all users object. “I actually prefer such ads because they’re often relevant,” said Riya, an IT professional. “It could violate privacy if overdone, but I’m okay with it.”
Digital rights experts say choice alone isn’t enough. “Privacy for those who want it should be guaranteed,” said Chinmayi S.K., co-founder of The Bachchao Project, a collective helping people understand technology. “The real issue is transparency. App creators must be clear about what they do with user data and be reasonable in their handling of it. In India, there’s no legal protection if the data users consented to share is later misused or sold. Once it’s out, it’s very hard to fight back.”
The report calls for immediate intervention, warning that the booming femtech sector operates in a legal grey zone. It urges governments and public health agencies to create non-commercial, privacy-friendly alternatives and push for data consent mechanisms that are clear, granular and not exploitative.
