Data from health apps merged with Google and Facebook (3 photos)

Users are deceived even by those applications fromwhich is expected to be absolute confidentiality. So, Facebook users are already accustomed to regular plunges into the network of their passwords, correspondence and other data. But the shock was that applications designed to protect mental and physical health secretly merged data to third parties, including Google and Facebook.

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Users who tried to quit disastroushabits, shared their health indicators or suffered from depression, and did not guess what was happening. Now they say that they have completely ceased to trust Facebook, because this happens not for the first time. As it turned out, of the 36 applications, 92% provided these companies with data about their users, since these corporations analyze information and also do advertising and marketing. 9 applications did not have a privacy policy at all, so it’s impossible to make a claim to them in principle. 5 more applications did not warn their users about what is happening. The other 3 declared the existence of a privacy policy, gaining complete confidence among mentally ill citizens.

It is curious what exactly the last three applicationswere the most active in data dumping. This fact was confirmed by Stephen Chan - a doctor working in the Palo Alto health system. According to the authors of the study, the main problem is the business model of free software. Their insurance is simply not paid. Therefore, they trade in subscriptions and data. And if the application of this kind belongs to the category of wellness, its authors may not care about laws relating to the secrecy of medical data.

Source: theverge.com