Cambridge researchers at the Minderoo research hub for Technology and Democracy have examined the increase in cycle tracking app downloads. Their new report says users hand over intimate details covering exercise, meals, medicines, sexual habits and contraception.
Lead writer Dr Stefanie Felsberger warns that every entry builds “a gold mine” for consumer profiling. She believes women should not have to trade health insight for commercial surveillance.
The study also notes that British and European law already classifies menstrual data as “special category”, which means added legal safety measures, though enforcement still falls behind.
`What Does The Study Say About App Business Models?
The report claims many companies turn menstrual data into cash through sales to advertisers and data brokers. Because most downloads happen when women plan a pregnancy, marketers gain rare clues about spending habits at a pivotal life moment.
The 3 most popular trackers reached roughly 250 million downloads during 2024 alone, according to the study. That surge feeds a market expected to top US$60 billion in two years.
Professor Gina Neff, executive director of the Minderoo research hub, said women “deserve better than to have their menstrual tracking data treated as consumer data.” She adds that stronger guardrails would let the same information help medical science instead of targeted ads.
How Valuable Is Pregnancy Information To Advertisers?
Cambridge researchers calculate that data on pregnancy carries more than two-hundred times the value of basic demographics for targeted marketing. Marketers can tell who might shop for cots or nappies, and the same records hint at future buying patterns for years.
The report explains that advertisers even time cosmetic promotions to the oestrogen phase of the cycle, when hormonal changes can lift spending on beauty products.
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Dr Felsberger writes that download lists alone attract strong interest because they show who may be expecting a child or trying to conceive.
The authors add that the financial worth of menstrual data is greatly underestimated by users who hand it over free of charge.
What Risks Come With Data Sharing?
The report lists dangers such as higher insurance costs, workplace monitoring and cyberstalking when intimate records land in the wrong hands.
Campaigners in the United States have already seen officials gather menstrual data to weaken access to abortion, the study records.
In the United Kingdom, apps aimed at women’s health have led to illegal charges for abortion services, showing how data can backfire.
Could Public Healthcare Launch A Safer Tracker?
The authors encourage the NHS to build its own cycle tracker under public oversight. Planned Parenthood in the United States already runs a not-for-profit app, giving Cambridge researchers a working model.
An NHS tool would ask simple consent questions and let users erase data from both handsets and servers, the report adds.
Prof Neff said a public tracker would give clinicians helpful insight while letting women keep control of their information. His exact words were, “Researchers could use this data to help answer questions about women’s health. Care providers could use this data for important information about their patients’ health. Women could get meaningful insights that they are searching for.”
