A fertility app that shared users' private information without their consent was fined $200,000 by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and will be subject to permanent restrictions on data sharing.
Easy Healthcare Corporation, the Illinois-based company that owns the Premom ovulation tracker app, violated FTC rules and its own privacy policy by sharing personally identifiable health information with Google and a third-party marketing firm. They also shared location information and device identifiers with two China-based data analytics companies.
Samuel Levine, director of FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection said his agency 'will not tolerate privacy abuses'. He added: 'Premom broke its promises and compromised consumers' privacy. We will vigorously enforce the Health Breach Notification Rule to defend consumers' health data from exploitation.'
Premom is an app that tracks personal health information including fertility information, ovulation, sexual and reproductive health concerns. It also tracks hormone test results and specific timeframes of users' pregnancies.
They are now banned from sharing any customer information for advertising purposes and will have to obtain specific permission to share any customer health data at all.
The FTC collaborated with the states of Oregon and Connecticut as well as the District of Columbia (DC) on the case, which follows investigations of other healthcare apps for sharing data in violation of the Health Breach Notification Rule.
Since the US Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade, it is possible in some states that information held on fertility apps could be used in evidence against women who have sought termination of pregnancy. Oregon, Connecticut and DC are all jurisdictions where abortion has remained legal.
'Now more than ever, with reproductive rights under attack across the country, it is essential that the privacy of healthcare decisions is vigorously protected,' said DC attorney general Brian Schwalb. 'My office will continue to make sure companies protect consumers' personal information to protect against unlawful encroachment on access to effective reproductive healthcare.'
Sources and References
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Easy Healthcare Corporation, U.S. v. FTC
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FTC says Premom shared users' highly sensitive reproductive health data: Can it get more personal than that?
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Ovulation tracking app Premom will be barred from sharing health data for advertising under proposed FTC order
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Fertility app fined $200,000 for leaking customers' health data
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Fertility app Premom settles with FTC over risky data sharing
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Fertility tracker Premom faces FTC ban on ad data-sharing
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