Health and fitness apps help us keep track of our wellness goals. However, how much of your privacy is at-risk when you use these apps?
Every time you download an app, you agree to share your data in exchange for information, a service or a product. Health and medical apps are no different. But with these apps, the data your’re sharing is extermely personal and includes your vital statistics.
Supplement Timing analyzed the official privacy policies of the top health and fitness apps to see which data each one asks of its users. We identified 27 different data types and gave the apps two points for each type they track by default and 1 point for types that require user permission. The ones with the most points are the ones that are most data-tracking-intensive.
Image Credit: ipopba/ iStock.
Amwell and Heal Are The Most Invasive Medical Apps
Amwell and Heal are telemedicine apps that give you the ability to have a virtual visit with your doctor, and they are also two of the data hungriest medical apps in our study. With news breaking that Amazon’s in-company telehealth service is to be made available to other employers, the sector is likely to be one of the busiest and most controversial of the 2020s.
Note that a “1” score means the data is optional and a
“2” means the data is taken by defaulted. Categories listed will
depend on permissions asked, which vary by app.
Image Credit: nensuria / istockphoto.
9. Medisafe
- Score: 11
- Name: 2
- Email: 2
- Country, City: 1
- Address: 1
- Device
information: 2 - Age/Date of
birth: 2 - Health/lifestyle
info: 1
Image Credit: Medisafe.
8. Teladoc
- Score: 16
- Name: 2
- Email: 2
- Phone number: 2
- Country, City: 2
- Address: 2
- Device
information: 1 - Age/Date of
birth: 2 - Health/lifestyle
info: 1 - Social media
profile: 1 - Occupation: 1
Image Credit: Teladoc.
7. GoodRX
- Score: 17
- Name: 2
- Email: 2
- Payment details: 1
- Phone number: 1
- Live location: 1
- Country, City: 2
- Address: 2
- Device
information: 2 - Age/Date of
birth: 2 - Gender/sex: 1
- Health/lifestyle
info: 1
Image Credit: GoodRX.
6. Healow
- Score: 18
- Name: 2
- Email: 2
- Phone number: 1
- Country, City: 1
- Address: 1
- Device
information: 2 - Age/Date of
birth: 1 - Gender/sex: 1
- Height: 1
- Weight: 1
- Fitness level: 1
- Food
intake/calories: 1 - Health/lifestyle
info: 1 - Female health: 1
- Sleep schedule: 1
Image Credit: Healow.
5. MyChart
- Score: 19
- Name: 1
- Email: 2
- Payment details: 1
- Photo: 1
- Phone number: 1
- Country, City: 1
- Address: 1
- Device
information: 2 - Age/Date of
birth: 1 - Gender/sex: 1
- Height: 1
- Weight: 1
- Fitness level: 1
- Food
intake/calories: 1 - Health/lifestyle
info: 1 - Sleep schedule: 1
- Female health: 1
Image Credit: MyChart / Google Play App Store.
4. First Derm
- Score: 20
- Name: 2
- Email: 2
- Payment details: 1
- Photo: 1
- Phone number: 2
- Country, City: 2
- Address: 2
- Device
information: 2 - Age/Date of
birth: 2 - Gender/sex: 2
- Heart rate/blood
pressure: 1 - Health/lifestyle
info: 1
Image Credit: First Derm.
3. Doctor on Demand
- Score: 22
- Name: 2
- Email: 2
- Payment details: 1
- Live location: 1
- Country, City: 2
- Address: 2
- Device
information: 2 - Age/Date of
birth: 2 - Gender/sex: 1
- Height: 1
- Weight: 1
- Food
intake/calories: 1 - Health/lifestyle
info: 2 - Sleep schedule: 1
- Female health: 1
Image Credit: Doctor on Demand.
2. Heal
- Score: 26
- Name: 2
- Email: 2
- Payment details: 2
- Phone number: 2
- Country, City: 2
- Address: 2
- Device
information: 2 - Age/Date of
birth: 1 - Gender/sex: 1
- Height: 1
- Weight: 1
- Heart rate/blood
pressure: 1 - Workout details: 1
- Fitness level: 1
- Food
intake/calories: 1 - Health/lifestyle
info: 1 - Social media
profile: 1 - Sleep schedule: 1
- Occupation: 1
Image Credit: Heal.
1. Amwell
- Score: 26
- Name: 2
- Email: 2
- Payment details: 1
- Photo: 2
- Phone number: 2
- Country, City: 2
- Address: 2
- Device
information: 2 - Age/Date of
birth: 1 - Gender/sex: 1
- Height: 1
- Weight: 1
- Heart rate/blood
pressure: 1 - Workout details: 1
- Fitness level: 1
- Health/lifestyle
info: 1 - Sleep schedule: 1
- Language: 1
- Occupation: 1
Image Credit: Amwell.
Methodology
Health and fitness apps were gathered from a variety of sources such as VeryWellFit, Healthline, CyclingNews, and Men’s Health. For each app, we analyzed the official privacy policy as provided on their website or on the website of the parent organization. In each privacy policy, we examined what types of personal data the app collects about its users.
Where possible, a distinction was made between the information users have to provide to use the app and its features, and the information users can choose to share with the app.
For each of the 27 types of personal data identified, we gave an app 2 points if a certain type of data was tracked by default and 1 point if that type of data was tracked only if users gave permission for it to be tracked.
Apps with the highest overall score were deemed the most tracking-intensive. Research was carried out in Feb 2021.
Click here for a full list of sources and additional data about fitness apps.
Related:
This article
originally appeared on Supplementtiming.com and was
syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Image Credit: NatalyaBurova / iStock.
