{"id":71800,"date":"2017-04-19T17:09:47","date_gmt":"2017-04-20T00:09:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=71800"},"modified":"2025-08-14T07:04:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T14:04:11","slug":"health-apps-arent-healthy-privacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/privacy-identity-protection\/health-apps-arent-healthy-privacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Report Finds Some Health Apps Aren’t Healthy for Your Privacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the big features in today\u2019s Internet-of-Things-centric world is the ability to effortlessly track and record health-related data. In fact, some companies make a lot of money providing users with tools, gadgets and social interfaces to more accurately track fitness and overall health. The abundance of these sensors has created a small cottage industry around health and health tracking apps, but not all apps are created equally \u2014 and not all are created with the user\u2019s health in mind.<\/p>\n

A recent report from the AV-TEST Institute found that Android users may be unintentionally leaking personal data about their health and fitness, even as they go out of their way to track their well being. The Institute surveyed a number of random health-related applications, all free on the Google Play Store, Android\u2019s Official App Store, and found that 80 percent of health-related applications lack a privacy policy suitable for today\u2019s regulations, despite handling sensitive data. The survey also found a good number of applications request or require access to data or sensors not core to the purposes of health-tracking, transmit data in an insecure fashion, and uses ad tracking to, well, sell ads.<\/p>\n

As it turns out, some health-centric applications aren\u2019t healthy for your privacy<\/a>. That can pose a few problems for users, like potential identity theft and targeted advertisements designed for people suffering from unique ailments. This data could also be collected and sold to insurance companies<\/a>, who could, theoretically, raise or lower rates based on a user\u2019s monitored activity.<\/p>\n

Just as troubling is the number of applications requesting access to device or user data not relevant to their apparent purpose. For example, AV-TEST reports that 12 of their tested applications requested direct access to the device camera, seven requested access to the microphone and three, surprisingly, required \u201cfull telephony functions of the smartphone.\u201d<\/p>\n

These aren\u2019t innocent requests, either, like requesting access to a photo library for sharing photos over social media. For example, one application used to track menstruation cycles, \u201cwanted to be informed of the whereabouts of its female users,\u201d according to AV-TEST.<\/p>\n

This problem, however, isn\u2019t unique to health applications. A lot of programs often request access to data or functions they simply have no need for. It\u2019s an issue all of us need to be aware of when first using a service.<\/p>\n

Tips to Know If A Health-Related Application is Trustworthy<\/h2>\n

So, what should you look for when considering a health-related application? Well, here are a few tips to keep in mind:<\/p>\n