Diet apps sharing users’ sensitive health data with marketers ‘without consent’

DIET apps are collecting mental and physical health details that are ‘shared without consent’ to marketing companies, an investigation has found.

Privacy International, a data protection charity, found that apps offering diet and exercise plans are collecting information about medication users have taken as well as psychological therapies. The organisation also pointed out some of the same apps also have data sharing agreements with third-party companies.

Privacy International said the findings raised questions about whether people’s sensitive health data was being used to target and profile them.

The research looked at three popular dieting apps: Betterme Meal Plan, Noom and V Shred, and found that when users signed up they were asked detailed questions about themselves and their eating habits. The apps also asked for details on whether users had ever taken antibiotics, if they had a family history of diabetes, what their views are of cognitive behavioural therapy and what gyms they subscribed to.

Commenting on one app’s questionnaire, the report said: “Before we even signed up to their subscription plan, Noom was able to build an extremely thorough and intimate profile of us, our mood, mental health, eating habits, health history, consumer habits.”

The report said it was unclear from the companies’ terms what happened to this sensitive information once users had handed it over and who had access to it. For example, Noom, which has 45 million users worldwide, is also partnered with a third-party digital platform called Fullstory.

A spokesman for Noom said: “Noom cares about its users’ privacy and does not share its users’ data with third parties other than with its service providers.”