Protecting Your Privacy: Tips For Using Health And Wellness Apps

• Heath and Wellness apps and platforms gather personal health data

• The platforms and apps promise protection is not always honored by heath and wellness platforms

• Learn what you can do to protect your privacy

Health and wellness platforms and apps gather personal health data, promising protection. However, if they break those promises, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can step in. Recently, Cerebral, Inc. and Monument, Inc. faced FTC action for sharing users' health info with advertisers. Both are banned from such practices. 

 Are you concerned about your data? Here's what to consider:

• Compare privacy protections. 

Compare the privacy protections of different websites and apps that offer similar services. Look for a privacy notice explaining in basic terms what health information they collect from you and how they use and share it. If the website or app shares your information, does it say why? Does it limit what others can do with it?

• Review website notices

If you visit a website and see a notice about how the website uses cookies, check out the options. They may let you choose to allow only necessary cookies or to allow cookies for advertising and other purposes. Choose the option that best suits you and your comfort level. 

• Customize the information you share.

 You can adjust your browser's privacy settings to customize the information websites collect about you. For example, you can block your location, personalized advertising, or websites from seeing your browsing history.

Washington State Data Laws

What laws does Washington State have to protect your data? Check out here