Premom, a free fertility app, has leaked the sensitive health data of its users to third parties or other companies, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says.
Its parent firm, Easy Healthcare, has agreed to pay for the settlement of the case.
Free Fertility App Premom Shared Users' Sensitive Data
According to CBS News, the FTC has exposed the popular fertility tracking app, Premom for sharing the sensitive data of its users with third-party companies.
The free app, Premom, has been marketed as an ally in the quest for parenthood. But this time, the recent revelation exposes its threat to the privacy of its users. The Commission revealed that Premom willingly shared users' personal and sensitive health data with other firms, raising concerns about user privacy and data security.
The privacy issue runs deep, as the FTC says the platform exposed users' sensitive health information and other data, including location, hardware IDs, and WiFi network names.
The health information and other data, the FTC says, were leaked to Google and two other China-based firms focused on marketing and analytics, the agency disclosed. As per CNN, the FTC notes that this information could help third-party firms identify the users of the fertility app. And in turn, it may expose the identity of the users using the service, the FTC complaint versus the Premom parent firm, Easy Healthcare, alleges.
The District of Columbia Attorney General, Brian Schwalb, says, "It is essential that the privacy of health decisions is vigorously protected" when reproductive rights are under attack in the US.
Meanwhile, the FTC director for the consumer protection bureau, Samuel Levine, assures everyone that the agency does "not tolerate health privacy abuses." Levine further slammed the free fertility app for breaking its promises to its users by leaking their private information to third-party companies.
Read Also : Hungary's Prime Minister Speaks Out Against Woke Culture, LGBTQ Rights at CPAC Conference
FTC Says Premom Maker Agrees To Pay Settlement
The Premom parent Easy Healthcare and the FTC have agreed to settle the privacy breach allegations. However, the company notes that the settlement does not mean admitting the agency's accusations.
The Premom parent argues that "it is a settlement to avoid the time and expense of litigation." And instead, the move should allow the company to focus on the welfare of its users
Despite reiterating that it will never share information about its users, the firm agreed to pay $200,000 to settle the case. Easy Healthcare has agreed to pay a $100,00 civil penalty for a Health Breach Notification Rule violation. It has decided to pay another $100,000 to Oregon, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia for violating local laws.
Related Article : Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime for Church Arson
