Flo App Privacy: What Actually Happens to Your Health Data

If you've searched for information about Flo's privacy practices, you're not alone. It's one of the most searched topics around period tracking apps — and for good reason.

This post covers what's on the public record, what questions to ask about any health app, and what privacy-first tracking actually looks like.

What Happened With Flo and the FTC

In January 2021, the FTC announced a settlement with Flo Health over allegations that the company shared users' health data — including period and pregnancy information — with third-party analytics firms including Facebook and Google, despite promising users their data would be kept private.

This is public record. The FTC settlement is documented on ftc.gov.

As part of the settlement, Flo was required to:

• Notify users about the data sharing
• Obtain user consent before sharing health data with third parties
• Have third parties delete data that had been shared

Flo has since updated its privacy practices and launched an “Anonymous Mode” feature. Users should read Flo's current privacy policy directly to understand what applies today.

Why Period App Privacy Matters More Than Most

Health data is different from other personal data. Your cycle information can reveal:

• Whether you're trying to conceive
• Pregnancy status
• Hormonal health conditions
• Medication use

In the current legal environment in many US states, this data has real-world implications. It's worth understanding exactly what any app does with it.

Questions to Ask About Any Period Tracker

Before trusting a health app with your cycle data, ask these questions:

What Privacy-First Actually Looks Like

Dawn Phase was built with privacy as a core principle:

• No ads, ever
• No data selling
• No third-party analytics on health data
• You can delete your account and all data at any time

It's not the only privacy-focused option — but it's worth knowing what to look for when the alternative is handing your most personal health data to a company with an ad business.

Free to use — no card required, no subscription.

Bottom Line

The FTC settlement with Flo is public record. What matters now is what any app does going forward — and whether their current privacy policy matches what they say publicly.

Read the policy. Ask the questions above. Choose an app whose business model doesn't depend on monetizing your health data.

This post references the FTC's 2021 settlement with Flo Health, which is publicly available at ftc.gov. All claims in this post are based on public records and official sources. This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.