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A big privacy case just ended, and Meta (the company behind Facebook) has been found guilty of collecting deeply personal data from users of the Flo period tracking app. The worst part is, users had no idea it was happening.
Over 3.7 million people in the U.S. were affected. These were mostly women who signed up for Flo between late 2016 and early 2019. The app was meant to help them track their menstrual cycles, plan pregnancies, or simply understand their bodies better. But behind the scenes, something very wrong was going on.
Whenever users clicked on certain features in the app, like logging sex, checking fertility predictions, or even writing about their mood, that data was secretly sent back to Facebook through a tool called an SDK. This software was baked into the app, and it quietly shared what users were doing with Meta. This included period dates, sexual activity, emotional health notes, and other private info.
Meta claimed it never actually looked at any of that data. They said developers aren’t allowed to send such details in the first place. But the jury didn’t buy that. They ruled that Meta did receive and benefit from this sensitive health information.
The lawyers fighting for the users said this decision is a big step forward. They believe tech companies that quietly collect and profit off private, intimate health data need to be held responsible.
Interestingly, other companies involved in the case, including Google, Flo itself, and a few firms that helped analyse the data, settled the matter earlier. Meta was the only one that took the fight all the way to trial, and now they’ve lost.
After the ruling, Meta said they strongly disagrees with the outcome and are thinking about appealing. They repeated that they don’t want health data and that they tell developers not to send it.
People who were affected by this will be contacted soon, either through email or the lawsuit’s website. It’s not yet clear how much money they might receive or what the next steps will be.
This case is making people take a harder look at apps that track health and period info. Millions of people use these tools every day, but now there’s growing concern. Who controls your private data? And are these apps being honest about how your most personal details are being used?
That’s the big question this case is leaving behind.