We care deeply about our users’ privacy, says tracking app Flo, amid data security concerns post Roe v Wade

After launching its Anonymous Mode to better protect users’ data, period tracker Flo aims to prioritise privacy and security. We find out how from Flo’s VP of product and content, Cath Everett.

FemTech World: What does Flo’s new Anonymous Mode involve?

Cath Everett: The Anonymous Mode introduces an even deeper layer of privacy for reproductive health data by allowing users to access the most significant AI-based features without personal information (PI) being associated with their account.

It enables decoupling health data from user names, emails and technical identifiers through core parts of the data journey, from a logged symptom or periods on the device over the network to the server.  This groundbreaking approach allows users to continue tracking their health and benefit from the information logged before, now as privately as possible.

When we started to work on Anonymous Mode, we knew it was critical to include a credible third party. In partnership with Cloudflare, we leveraged their industry-leading feature, App Relay which introduces a trusted third party between each client and the server whose purpose is to forward encrypted requests and responses between client and server.

In effect, no single party processing user data in Anonymous Mode has complete information on both who the user is and what they are trying to access.

FTW: Why did it take so long for such an Anonymous Mode to be adopted?

CE: While the Anonymous Mode feature had already been underway, the development was accelerated in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn the landmark case Roe v Wade.

After hearing concerns from users about how third parties might be able to access user health data from digital services, Flo immediately prioritised Anonymous Mode in an effort to provide our 257 million users the opportunity to access, track, and gain insight into their personal health information without fearing government prosecution.

Given that we are more than a mere period tracker, and instead a sophisticated health app, we had to make sure that we implemented Anonymous Mode across all features.

To ensure this level of privacy across all the major levels — client device, transport and server, — demanded a very sophisticated and detailed approach and the work of the team of over 50 talented professionals.

The development of Anonymous Mode was multi-layered and complex. However, we are very proud of how quickly we responded and hope that it will set a new standard for the industry.

FTW: Flo has been subjected to some allegations by the Wall Street Journal that found the app was sharing its users’ data with Facebook. How important is data transparency for you? 

CE: We understand that our users place trust in our technology to keep their sensitive information private, and the responsibility we have to provide a safe and secure platform for them to use.

We care deeply about our users’ privacy, which is why we do not share health data with any company but Flo. We will never make user data the source of our revenue because that would go against our core promise to our users.

Privacy and security are on top of our priorities, and we are working hard to share transparently our privacy and security measures.

In March, Flo completed an external, independent privacy audit which confirmed Flo’s own practices are consistent with its publicly stated privacy policy and in August it became the first period and ovulation tracker to achieve the ISO 27001 certification – an internationally recognised standard for information security.

Flo has also developed a dedicated Privacy Portal where we explain all things privacy while releasing Anonymous Mode, we have published a white paper where we dive deeper into technology behind the feature.

FTW: What would be your message for those worried about using tracking apps post Roe v Wade? 

CE: Flo will always stand up for the health of women and people who menstruate, and we will do everything in our power to protect the data and privacy of our users.

Multiple studies establish that women and people who menstruate who are denied abortions suffer significantly adverse health outcomes. Banning abortion increases the number of unsafe abortions and cases of maternal death and leads to a sixfold increase in the chance of developing a life-threatening condition. But also we are persuaded that evidence-based information on effective contraceptive methods and reproductive health plays a big role in preventing the need for an abortion and countering the growing volume of online misinformation.

That’s why when the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, we used our technology to develop the Anonymous Mode.

FTW: What are your ambitions for Flo when it comes to improving data protection and the app’s existing features?

CE: We will do everything in our power to protect the data and privacy of our users, and will continue going above and beyond regular market practices on the topic.

To give you a few examples, Flo encrypts all data and engages in independent privacy audits.

We’re consistently focused on prioritising privacy and security within all of our product features, and there are a number of ideas in our pipeline, such as contributing to open-source projects to support privacy related cutting edge technologies across the whole industry.