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Menstrual tracking app data is a ‘gold mine’ for advertisers that risks women’s safety

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  • I couldn't find a good one, so I'm open to recommendations

    Look at the other comments, apparently drip should be the goto open source app.

  • For christ sake, is there no open source option for such a simple task?

    Edit:
    2 people here could point to drip within 15 minutes of my post, and a third to the fact there are options on F-droid. So why the fuck don't women just use that?
    Well i guess the ones with harmful advertising have better graphics or somemeting. Or the fact they allow advertising makes them more visible on google play. And you probably can't even get drip on iPhones.

    Because its effort. We have to get the average person to care about their security and privacy before they will bother using these alternatives. It's much easier for them to download a popular one off an app store and have the data stick with them, than it is to download f-droid, find the right app, make sure its still supported and setup their own data backup.

  • Because its effort. We have to get the average person to care about their security and privacy before they will bother using these alternatives. It's much easier for them to download a popular one off an app store and have the data stick with them, than it is to download f-droid, find the right app, make sure its still supported and setup their own data backup.

    People don't give a shit, and prefer to stay uninformed. Maybe more Darwin awards are necessary?

    Edit:
    Maybe that was out of line, but I'm just so fucking tired of people who choose to be ignorant.

  • People are mentioning drip, and that's on the Play Store. It's literally the same amount of effort as installing a surveillance app.

  • For christ sake, is there no open source option for such a simple task?

    Edit:
    2 people here could point to drip within 15 minutes of my post, and a third to the fact there are options on F-droid. So why the fuck don't women just use that?
    Well i guess the ones with harmful advertising have better graphics or somemeting. Or the fact they allow advertising makes them more visible on google play. And you probably can't even get drip on iPhones.

    Drip looks to be available on Google Play, App Store and F-Droid.

    It probably has a lot to do with informing people.

  • For christ sake, is there no open source option for such a simple task?

    Edit:
    2 people here could point to drip within 15 minutes of my post, and a third to the fact there are options on F-droid. So why the fuck don't women just use that?
    Well i guess the ones with harmful advertising have better graphics or somemeting. Or the fact they allow advertising makes them more visible on google play. And you probably can't even get drip on iPhones.

    Periodical.
    Local storage only, f-droid.

  • For christ sake, is there no open source option for such a simple task?

    Edit:
    2 people here could point to drip within 15 minutes of my post, and a third to the fact there are options on F-droid. So why the fuck don't women just use that?
    Well i guess the ones with harmful advertising have better graphics or somemeting. Or the fact they allow advertising makes them more visible on google play. And you probably can't even get drip on iPhones.

    Besides drip, Euki (github) is another option on both the play store and iOS.

    Note that both of these options are maintained by tiny teams with limited resources.

  • Cambridge researchers urge public health bodies like the NHS to provide trustworthy, research-driven alternatives to platforms driven by profit.

    Women deserve better than to have their menstrual tracking data treated as consumer data - Prof Gina Neff

    Smartphone apps that track menstrual cycles are a “gold mine” for consumer profiling, collecting information on everything from exercise, diet and medication to sexual preferences, hormone levels and contraception use.

    This is according to a new report from the University of Cambridge’s Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, which argues that the financial worth of this data is “vastly underestimated” by users who supply profit-driven companies with highly intimate details in a market lacking in regulation.

    The report’s authors caution that cycle tracking app (CTA) data in the wrong hands could result in risks to job prospects, workplace monitoring, health insurance discrimination and cyberstalking – and limit access to abortion.

    They call for better governance of the booming ‘femtech’ industry to protect users when their data is sold at scale, arguing that apps must provide clear consent options rather than all-or-nothing data collection, and urge public health bodies to launch alternatives to commercial CTAs.

    I happen to be a penis owner.

    So what would happen if I were to install and use such a monthly tracker app and pretend I've been having regular monthlies for a while, then suddenly I miss a couple periods, then suddenly start having periods again?

    Would the cops come beating my door down claiming I had an abortion? 🤔

    Fuck this dystopian mass surveillance shit!

  • Besides drip, Euki (github) is another option on both the play store and iOS.

    Note that both of these options are maintained by tiny teams with limited resources.

    tiny teams with limited resources.

    If the apps work as intended, it doesn't really matter.

  • People are mentioning drip, and that's on the Play Store. It's literally the same amount of effort as installing a surveillance app.

    Does drip pay to have their app at the top of the list? Because that's about how far most people look

  • For christ sake, is there no open source option for such a simple task?

    Edit:
    2 people here could point to drip within 15 minutes of my post, and a third to the fact there are options on F-droid. So why the fuck don't women just use that?
    Well i guess the ones with harmful advertising have better graphics or somemeting. Or the fact they allow advertising makes them more visible on google play. And you probably can't even get drip on iPhones.

    I get what you’re trying to say, but this is basically just roundabout victim blaming. Women shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not someone is going to weaponize data on their menstrual cycle against them. Yes it is good to lock your door at night, but ultimately you don’t blame somebody for getting robbed just because they didn't lock it. You blame the thief.

    Not everybody is as aware of privacy issues as the rest of us. We have to help them, not berate them.

  • People don't give a shit, and prefer to stay uninformed. Maybe more Darwin awards are necessary?

    Edit:
    Maybe that was out of line, but I'm just so fucking tired of people who choose to be ignorant.

    Everybody’s a bad ass talking about Darwin awards when that’s something they understand, but suddenly you will expect sympathy when it’s something you don’t. Maybe try havinga little more empathy for the people of the world who are not as aware of how bad privacy has gotten. Believe it or not, we are of a minority perspective. A very small one at that.

    I’m more inclined to believe it’s partially a failure on our part to educate people, but mostly the issue is that it’s not a fair fight. You are expecting the average person to successfully overcome the resources and influence of sometimes decades old, billion dollar, multinational companies and governments. But I guess it’s a lot easier to just call everybody who doesn’t take this as seriously as we do a dumbass. Certainly allowed you to wipe your hands of it and act smug that’s for sure.

  • Cambridge researchers urge public health bodies like the NHS to provide trustworthy, research-driven alternatives to platforms driven by profit.

    Women deserve better than to have their menstrual tracking data treated as consumer data - Prof Gina Neff

    Smartphone apps that track menstrual cycles are a “gold mine” for consumer profiling, collecting information on everything from exercise, diet and medication to sexual preferences, hormone levels and contraception use.

    This is according to a new report from the University of Cambridge’s Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, which argues that the financial worth of this data is “vastly underestimated” by users who supply profit-driven companies with highly intimate details in a market lacking in regulation.

    The report’s authors caution that cycle tracking app (CTA) data in the wrong hands could result in risks to job prospects, workplace monitoring, health insurance discrimination and cyberstalking – and limit access to abortion.

    They call for better governance of the booming ‘femtech’ industry to protect users when their data is sold at scale, arguing that apps must provide clear consent options rather than all-or-nothing data collection, and urge public health bodies to launch alternatives to commercial CTAs.

    Do women need an app for this? Surely a piece of paper would work just as well, and have a 0% chance of selling your data.

  • Everybody’s a bad ass talking about Darwin awards when that’s something they understand, but suddenly you will expect sympathy when it’s something you don’t. Maybe try havinga little more empathy for the people of the world who are not as aware of how bad privacy has gotten. Believe it or not, we are of a minority perspective. A very small one at that.

    I’m more inclined to believe it’s partially a failure on our part to educate people, but mostly the issue is that it’s not a fair fight. You are expecting the average person to successfully overcome the resources and influence of sometimes decades old, billion dollar, multinational companies and governments. But I guess it’s a lot easier to just call everybody who doesn’t take this as seriously as we do a dumbass. Certainly allowed you to wipe your hands of it and act smug that’s for sure.

    I admit that was out of line, but for fucks sake, there are so many stupid people doing stupid things it's unbearable. Voting for Trump for example. And the Russian people supporting the war on Ukraine.

  • I get what you’re trying to say, but this is basically just roundabout victim blaming. Women shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not someone is going to weaponize data on their menstrual cycle against them. Yes it is good to lock your door at night, but ultimately you don’t blame somebody for getting robbed just because they didn't lock it. You blame the thief.

    Not everybody is as aware of privacy issues as the rest of us. We have to help them, not berate them.

    I admit that was out of line, but for fucks sake, there are so many stupid people doing stupid things it’s unbearable. Voting for Trump for example. And the Russian people supporting the war on Ukraine.
    I'm just so fucking tired of how ignorant people choose to be.

  • Cambridge researchers urge public health bodies like the NHS to provide trustworthy, research-driven alternatives to platforms driven by profit.

    Women deserve better than to have their menstrual tracking data treated as consumer data - Prof Gina Neff

    Smartphone apps that track menstrual cycles are a “gold mine” for consumer profiling, collecting information on everything from exercise, diet and medication to sexual preferences, hormone levels and contraception use.

    This is according to a new report from the University of Cambridge’s Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, which argues that the financial worth of this data is “vastly underestimated” by users who supply profit-driven companies with highly intimate details in a market lacking in regulation.

    The report’s authors caution that cycle tracking app (CTA) data in the wrong hands could result in risks to job prospects, workplace monitoring, health insurance discrimination and cyberstalking – and limit access to abortion.

    They call for better governance of the booming ‘femtech’ industry to protect users when their data is sold at scale, arguing that apps must provide clear consent options rather than all-or-nothing data collection, and urge public health bodies to launch alternatives to commercial CTAs.

    I mean there are at least 2 apps for that in F-Droid. It's just that most people are FOSS illiterate and only if a big corpo give them shit then they trust it.

  • I happen to be a penis owner.

    So what would happen if I were to install and use such a monthly tracker app and pretend I've been having regular monthlies for a while, then suddenly I miss a couple periods, then suddenly start having periods again?

    Would the cops come beating my door down claiming I had an abortion? 🤔

    Fuck this dystopian mass surveillance shit!

    I happen to be a penis owner.

    That's like 95% of Lemmy.

  • For christ sake, is there no open source option for such a simple task?

    Edit:
    2 people here could point to drip within 15 minutes of my post, and a third to the fact there are options on F-droid. So why the fuck don't women just use that?
    Well i guess the ones with harmful advertising have better graphics or somemeting. Or the fact they allow advertising makes them more visible on google play. And you probably can't even get drip on iPhones.

    So why the fuck don’t women just use that?

    They probably don't know about it. If I search "period tracker" on Google Play, Drip is in about 40th place in the results. That's several screens down, past a bunch of search suggestions, and the parts where it's open source, on-device, and optionally encrypted aren't clear until I tap on it and read the description.

    And you probably can’t even get drip on iPhones.

    There's some irony in a comment dealing with people making decisions that are against their interests because they're insufficiently informed speculating incorrectly about something like this when it's easy to check. Drip is, in fact available for iPhone.

  • Do women need an app for this? Surely a piece of paper would work just as well, and have a 0% chance of selling your data.

    Do people need an app for taking notes? Or a calendar?

    Sure, I used to do it on paper for many years. But it's much more convenient to track it on my phone, which I have almost always with me. That way I can check whether I'm likely to be bleeding heavily before making plans with my friends to go swimming that day or on a long hike without access to a toilet.

    Also many women don't just track the blood flow but also other data like temperature, cervix and cervical mucus. This helps calculate the most fertile days. It's much easier to let an app do that.

  • I admit that was out of line, but for fucks sake, there are so many stupid people doing stupid things it's unbearable. Voting for Trump for example. And the Russian people supporting the war on Ukraine.

    Not knowing how to install F Droid/to look for open source projects for sensitive data is not the same as voting for Trump or supporting Russia over Ukraine. The latter are taking bad information/prejudices and acting on them. The other people simply are not aware of the issue, or how serious of an issue personal privacy has become more broadly. Comparing them to MAGA and calling them stupid is not going to help them.

    I bet if I looked at your smart phone or computer I would see plenty of services you use that compromise your privacy. Should I call you an ignorant hypocrite and berate you as well?

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    Keeta's success was made possible first because the Hong Kong government Competition Commission was investigating Foodpanda and Deliveroo's contractual terms with restaurants, suggesting their terms may “hinder entry and expansion by new or smaller platforms and soften competition in the market.” After Keeta entered the city, it launched a price war with a so-called “cash-burning” strategy, which includes offering special deals with chain stores, offering up to HKD 300 (USD 38.22) coupons for newly registered users during its launch, introducing a “punctuality guarantee” system to compensate customers with coupons if the delivery does not arrive within a designated timeframe. Moreover, unlike other platforms which charge non-paid members a delivery fee, Keeta lets all platform users enjoy free delivery services as the restaurants and Keeta cover the cost. […] Firstly, it lowered the pay rate of riders’ long-distance delivery from an average of HKD 60 (USD 7.64) per task to HKD 50 (6.37) and shorter-distance delivery from an average of HKD 50 to HKD 30–40 (USD 3.82–5.10). Secondly, it introduced a “K Go” scheme to force delivery workers to lose 20–30 percent of their pay rate in exchange for a higher priority in receiving service orders. Lastly, it launched a “Grab the task” alert feature that compels delivery workers to constantly check the app to compete for orders.
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    you know what I’m talking about But I literally don't. Well, I didn't but now I mostly do, since you explained it. I get what you're saying with regards to the isolation, this issue has already been raised when many left-wing people started to leave Twitter. But it is opening a whole new can of worms - these profiles that post AI-generated content are largely not managed by ordinary people with their private agendas (sharing neat stuff, political agitation, etc.), but by bots, and are also massively followed and supported by other bot profiles. Much the same on Twitter with its hordes of right-wing troll profiles, and as I'm still somewhat active on reddit I also notice blatant manipluation there as well (my country had elections a few weeks ago and the flood of new profiles less than one week old spamming idiotic propaganda and insults was too obvious). It's not organic online behaviour and it can't really be fought by organic behaviour, especially when the big social media platforms give up the tools to fight it (relaxing their moderation standards, removing fact-checking, etc.). Lemmy and Mastodon etc. are based on the idea(l) that this corporate-controlled area is not the only space where meaningful activity can happen. So that's one side of the story, AI is not something happening in a vacuum and that you just have to submit to your own will. The other side of the story, the actual abilities of AI, have already been discussed, we've seen sufficiently that it's not that good at helping people form more solidly developed and truth-based stances. Maybe it could be used to spread the sort of mass-produced manipulative bullshit that is already used by the right, but I can't honestly support such stuff. In this regard, we can doubt whether there is any ground to win for the left (would the left's possible audience actually eat it up), and if yes, whether it is worth it (basing your political appeal on bullshit can bite you in the ass down the line). As for the comparison to discourse around immigrants, again I still don't fully understand the point other than on the most surface level (the media is guiding people what to think, duh).
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    Meta? Isn't that owned by alleged pedophile Mark Zuckerberg? I heard he was a pedo on Facebook.
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    Sure, he wasn't an engineer, so no, Jobs never personally "invented" anything. But Jobs at least knew what was good and what was shit when he saw it. Under Tim Cook, Apple just keeps putting out shitty unimaginative products, Cook is allowing Apple to stagnate, a dangerous thing to do when they have under 10% market share.
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    I wish the batteries were modular/interchangeable. You could just pull into a station, remove the spent battery and replace it with a full one, the spent one can then just get recharged and stored at the station for the next user to change out. You could even bring some extra ones in the trunk for a long trip!
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    The enshittification continues, but it doesn't affect me at all. Piracy is the way to go nowadays that all streaming services suck. !piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com