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Period tracking app has been yapping about your flow to Meta (femtechdesigndesk.substack.com)

submitted 6 days ago by rssbot@lemmy.bestiver.se to c/hackernews@lemmy.bestiver.se

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[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 34 points 6 days ago

This is why I have a period tracker app despite being a non-menstruator so they get bad data.

I’m currently dealing with infertility and perimenopause.

[-] SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social 12 points 6 days ago

I hope you'll feel better soon!

[-] ZoteTheMighty@lemmy.zip 4 points 5 days ago

[-] bonenode@piefed.social 27 points 6 days ago

There's plenty of good apps that do not do this on F-Droid, e.g. drip.

Yet another reason why having alternative app stores is important.

[-] GalacticGrapefruit@lemmy.world 13 points 6 days ago

Periodical uses no permissions. Not even network permissions. Can't get more private than that.

[+] DishaweslemOride@lemmy.org -7 points 6 days ago

Yes but you don’t know they aren’t doing the same thing.

What we need are apps that use your own cloud data and are prevented from making network connections outside of that by the OS

[-] grue@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago

I mean, you kinda do because F-Droid maintainers check for 'anti-features' like that before approving each app to be added to the repository. That's the big benefit of it over something like Obtainium.

I haven't checked myself, but I think it's very likely that there's at least one period-tracking app on F-Droid that doesn't require network permission at all.

[+] DishaweslemOride@lemmy.org -7 points 6 days ago

If the data goes to their cloud, fdroid can’t check for anything.

If the app makes network connections…. You need to assume anything it can access on your phone is shared with a malicious third party.

[-] grue@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Why do you keep talking about cloud shit? What part of "[they probably don't] require network permission at all" did you not understand?

In fact, if some app's data did "[go] to their cloud," F-Droid would slap a big fat anti-feature warning label on it saying "this app promotes or depends entirely on a non-free network service" and not put an install button in the list in the search results, forcing you to go through an extra step if you still wanted to install it!

I don't know why you're trying to fearmonger so hard when F-Droid really does everything it can to protect you from shit like this, short of actively restricting you itself.

[+] DishaweslemOride@lemmy.org -8 points 6 days ago

Oh boy… You don’t know what “cloud” means.

If an app stores info on their servers, they have access to it. This isn’t something only big tech does. Any app may store user account information, general app data, etc. if you can use it on your desktop and you can use it on your phone… guess where that data is…. ☁️ 🧠

As I said above, what we need are more apps allowing the use of private data storage. Your own “cloud” (server). And then an OS level block of all network connections besides that single source.

[-] Railcar8095@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago

What part of "no network" you do not understand? There's no cloud in Drip, the one mentioned. Not from a company, not your own. It doesn't even have the network connectivity.

[-] grue@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

As I said above, what we need are more apps allowing the use of private data storage. Your own “cloud” (server).

Right. And F-Droid actively encourages exactly that by calling it an "anti-feature" whenever an app connects to a network service but fails to work with the service of your choosing.

I'm literally telling you about the thing that addresses your exact concern, and yet you're nonsensically bitching that I'm somehow the one who doesn't know what I'm talking about? What the fuck is wrong with you?

[-] damnthefilibuster@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago

What the fuck!! What the actual fuck!!!!

[-] Sualtam@lemmus.org 11 points 6 days ago

It's really frustrating how people still trust their sensitive personal data to apps like this.

[-] Mothra@mander.xyz 1 points 5 days ago

Yeah. Ever since I started tracking mine with an app I specifically looked for one that didn't send my data anywhere. There's no reason to. It's just a fucking private calendar, a list of dates and notes. Why that ever needs to leave your device beats me

[-] DisgruntledGorillaGang@reddthat.com 3 points 5 days ago

I'm going to start using 'creamy' to describe how I'm feeling.

[-] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 days ago

Reminds me of that Derrick Comedy sketch with Donald Glover about mercury poisoning. "How are you feeling?" "SLIIIIImy"

[-] DisgruntledGorillaGang@reddthat.com 2 points 5 days ago

Lmao, I don't know that one.

[-] ReachMinusOne@lemmy.zip 3 points 5 days ago

It's a good one. But seeing that it was uploaded 19 years ago makes my bones hurt.

[-] DisgruntledGorillaGang@reddthat.com 1 points 5 days ago

Lol, yeah that was pretty good. Look at how young Donald is!

[-] jimonthony@lemmy.zip 4 points 6 days ago

Can anyone recommend a data secure self hosted option preferably with easy docker compose variables?

[-] Onyxonblack@piefed.social 4 points 6 days ago

I'm not in this race, but wouldn't it make more sense at this late stage, to simply not use any a phone apps whatsoever anymore? For this?

Big Evil Tech is going to take everything from us. Why would any educated people still use a period-tracking app? I'm sure going back to pre-cellphone, pen & paper calculations would be better?

[-] grue@lemmy.world 12 points 6 days ago

We shouldn't have to go back to pen & paper to avoid big tech; that's an absurd overreaction to the point of almost coming across as a strawman argument. We should expect to have privacy-respecting alternatives (e.g. from F-Droid, as others in the thread are mentioning) available, as well as effective consumer protection laws.

The solution is not to just give up; the solution is to force the world to get better.

[-] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 days ago

Sadly despite all the bad news over this most regular users don't give a shit and like the convenience.

this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2026

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