Period tracking apps, tech companies hit by privacy fears after Roe vs Wade reversal

Both period tracking apps and large tech companies must decide how to handle users’ data

Privacy advocates and abortion rights activists fear that law enforcement could use pregnant people’s health information, including data collected by period tracking apps, against them in court after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe vs Wade ruling.

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision, many privacy advocates and experts have encouraged individuals using menstrual tracking apps to delete them so that they are not charged with crimes, should they opt for an abortion.

With the Supreme Court overturning the 50-year-old Roe vs Wade judgment, states across the country now have the power to ban abortions, affecting millions of American patients. 

Clue, one of the world’s most recognisable menstrual tracking apps, allows users to analyse their cycle by the day, input their health symptoms, and predict ovulation days and future flows.

“We are, and always have been, committed to protecting your private health data. Your tracked experience should empower you, whatever your private health decisions. We will never enable anyone to use it against you. #RoevWade,” tweeted the company on Sunday. 

Moreover, Clue confirmed that European data privacy laws would protect the U.S. residents using the app. 

“Our user data cannot simply be subpoenaed from the U.S.,” Clue said in a statement. The company is based in Berlin, Germany.