securely track your periodWith the overturning of Roe V. Wade you may be asking your self a variety of questions:

“Should I delete my period tracker app?”

“Can I ensure my period tracker app isn’t selling my menstrual cycle information?”

“What in the actual hell is going on?!”

 

We know, friend. There is a lot of information about using period apps going around right now. After the Supreme Court decided to get in a time machine and travel back in time 50 years and overturn a necessary ruling for Roe v. Wade that protects the privacy of pregnant women who choose to have an abortion, we’re all left wondering what this means for medical confidentiality and personal data protection.

This decision impacts you wherever you stand on the right to choose, are pro-life, and/or if you are a menstruator. Chances are, you or someone you know is using a period tracker app. You might even be one of our subscribers for The Agenda. 

 

Millions of people are subscribed to a period tracker app because the benefits of tracking your cycle go well beyond just understanding fertilization. Tracking has helped countless women and menstruators:

 

Without a doubt, the benefits can be endless and have helped so many.

The big question is, “Will my information be secure if I use a period-tracker app?”

 

Since we are huge advocates of cycle tracking and have developed what we believe is a brilliant tool for leveraging the power of your flow on the go, we want to give you the ins and outs. We’re laying it out for you to be 100% informed. We know that knowledge is power when advocating for your health.

 

With this new ruling, many apps that rely on ads and analytics targeting in order to provide free app services to their clients may be in a period pickle. Some companies like FLO are already in hot water for misleading their users with their privacy policy. A complaint was filed with the Federal Trade Commission alleged that Flo shared user data with third-party organizations, like Facebook, after assuring subscribers that wouldn’t happen.

 

The Agenda. falls into a unique category since it’s not a free app. Since our clients pay a low annual fee to subscribe, we have a little more control over what is shared, but even we could be put into a situation where information would need to be shared.

 

So let’s give you a run-down of the terms so you can make an informed decision on what is best for you.

 

What are Third-Party Services?

 

Think of third-party services as the many “helpers” that help an app function properly. Most apps utilize third-party services to handle various basic tasks, but some apps will also share your data. So understanding which third-party apps are used will help you know if they might harm your privacy’s well-being.

 

The Agenda. uses the following third-party apps:

 

Google Analytics

The Agenda Period app tracks and stores anonymized usage behavior, such as: how long the app was used, how the app was used, and on what type of device. This sole purpose is to optimize the services we provide to our users. Analytics data is used for internal business decisions ONLY and not shared with third parties for advertising purposes, which is the goal of most free tracker apps that need to recoup their funds somehow. CEO Alyx Coble-Frakes reassures, “We maintain direct control over as many processes as we can,” meaning you’ll never catch us using your precious details for anything other than continuously improving your user experience with our platform.

 

Google Firebase 

This service is used to handle user logins and store account details. It’s helpful to know that according to Google’s FAQs, “The Firebase Authentication service is run only from US data centers. As a result, Firebase Authentication processes data exclusively in the United States.”

We trust Google Firebase to store your user information, including:

  • Passwords
  • Email addresses
  • Phone numbers
  • User agents
  • IP addresses

 

Firebase Authentication

The Agenda. uses Firebase Authentication to provide user authentication and account management. Along with an email address and encrypted password, Firebase may log the user-agent string and IP address of the device. Logged IP addresses are retained for a few weeks. When an account is deleted, data is removed from the system within 180 days.

 

Firebase Hosting

Firebase Hosting collects IP addresses for security and diagnostic purposes. Firebase services encrypt data in transit using HTTPS and logically isolate customer data. 

 

Google Analytics for Firebase

Can collect a user’s mobile ad ID, IDfV ID (iOS) or Android ID, instance ID, and Analytics app instance ID for analytics purposes.

  

Sentry

We use Sentry.io to log app errors. Users who encounter an app error will have their IP address and limited device data stored as part of the error log. 

 

RevenueCat


We use RevenueCat to manage paid subscriptions and free trials. Limited device and purchase data are stored for managing subscription status in the app and business reporting purposes. 

 

When it comes to your privacy, who has access to your data? You, the end-user. Also, the limited staff at The Agenda, for the sole purposes of troubleshooting and support. 

 

We will shout this from the rooftops: Your data is not shared with third parties for marketing or advertising purposes. We offer a low annual subscription fee because your security is PRICELESS.

 

Unfortunately, today’s technology means no data transmitted over the internet is 100% secure. While we cannot warrant the security of any information transmitted, we will do our part to ensure your data.

 

 

The Agenda. uses industry best practices to keep your information safe while delivering a product with fantastic benefits. We vow to continue looking for innovative ways to adapt our product transparently, so you always feel secure about how your data gets used. We promise to take additional measures as the world evolves. 

 

If you have any questions please email us at [email protected]

Resources: 

https://www.thelily.com/more-than-100-million-women-use-flo-a-period-tracking-app-heres-why-some-are-deleting-it/