05/09/2022
Mental health apps are sharing your personal data
Mozilla reports that services like BetterHelp, Talkspace and even prayer apps like King James Bible are using people's data for financial gain, like sharing personal data with third parties for "things like marketing and research." Mozilla researchers also ranked the apps by "creepy" levels, and noted apps like Calm and Pray as "super creepy." Privacy policies can be boring and difficult to understand, but reading through them is your best chance of protecting your information.
■Class discussion: Do you ever read privacy policies for the applications and websites you use? Why or why not? Do you care that information about what you read, where you go, what you buy, who you talk to, what you say online, your health and even your religious beliefs is being sold by the people who create apps and websites to people trying to sell you products or political viewpoints? What can you do to protect yourself from being manipulated? Is it possible to protect your privacy online?