Period apps 'outraged' at new guidance to search women's phones if they miscarry
Leaders of period tracking apps Flo and Clue have shared their thoughts on the new guidance allowing police to seize a woman's phone and check their period tracking app if she miscarries
Popular period tracking apps have revealed that they are "shocked" and "outraged" over the new guidance from the National Police Chiefs' Council, allowing police to check a woman's period tracking apps she experiences pregnancy loss.
The guidance, quietly released in January by the NPCC states that women who experience a sudden unexpected pregnancy loss, if they suspect a miscarriage, stillbirth or early labour is the result of an illegal abortion could be investigated by the police.
The guidance further states that women could have their homes searched for evidence of abortion drugs and their phones seized for their search history, period tracking apps or fertility apps checked for evidence of whether they were aware of their pregnancy.
According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 50 million women worldwide use period tracking apps, and of the big three - Flo, Clue and Period Tracker - there are 250 million downloads combined, as per a University of Oxford study.
Rhiannon White, CEO of Clue, told the Mirror that they were "shocked and outraged" at the UK police's development and clarified that Clue "have never, and will never, disclose private health data to any authority."
White said: "We have spoken loudly on this subject, particularly in the US since Roe Vs Wade was overturned in 2022. This same position applies to every region around the world. As a business, we have built our foundations on protecting women's rights to data privacy, body autonomy and health equity. We want to provide some clear and immediate actions women can do today to protect themselves better, alongside knowing our continuing commitment to protecting Clue members and their data privacy."
White confirmed that Clue members can request to have their personal data deleted at any time, explaining that "members will always have full control and autonomy over their own personal information."
"We have never and will never share health data with authorities. We will aggressively challenge any such requests and will never allow our members' data to be used against them," the statement concludes.
Similarly, Sue Khan, Vice President of Privacy at Flo Health told The Mirror: "Women deserve to be able to use technology to learn more about their bodies and their personal health, without fearing their data will be unjustly used or taken in a way they have not agreed upon."
Khan added: "Not only do these actions breed fear and hostility for women who are already going through an undoubtedly traumatic medical experience, they set a dangerous precedent for weaponizing technology built to serve women's needs."
She ended her statement by encouraging users to protect their privacy further by implementing the apps' Anonymous Mode, "a first-of-its-kind technology that gives you the option to access the Flo Health app without your name, email address, or any technical identifiers being associated with your health data. This means nobody, not even Flo, could identify you if pressed.'
A spokesperson for the NPCC told The Standard that an investigation would only be initiated where there is credible information to suggest criminal activity. They said: "This would often be because of concerns raised from medical professionals.'
They also told The Observer that unexpected pregnancy loss was not 'routinely investigated' and 'any investigation of this nature will always be treated with the utmost sensitivity and compassion'.
If you are pregnant or a new mother and you are in crisis, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides free, confidential support 24/7 in English and Spanish. Call or text the hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262).
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Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'We're empowering women's health - new police guidance pushes us back'
Clue CEO Rhiannon White speaks to the Mirror about the detrimental effects of the new police guidance, which allows for period tracking apps to be checked should police suspect an illegal abortion We're deep into our digital era. Kids are forming relationships with AI chat bots, shops and services are going purely online and healthcare is following suit, as a new AI tool is being developed for the NHS which seeks to predict who is about to fall ill. And so it is no surprise that the digital revolution on menstruation apps has arrived. For the past decade, period tracking apps have replaced the traditional calendar for tracking the menstrual cycle. I remember marking X's on my wall calendar until the age of 16, before downloading Flo and keeping track digitally. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 50 million women worldwide use period tracking apps. Of the big three - Flo, Clue and Period Tracker - there are 250 million downloads combined, as per a University of Oxford study. As a teen, this private and anonymous digital space was a godsend, as my GP was only referred to in emergencies for anything regarding my menstrual cycle. As I grew older, I was usually brushed off by my doctors for any period related issue - and I know I'm not alone in that experience. My period tracking app - with everything from on-hand expert advice and content about women's bodies and sexual health, to personalised advice regarding my menstrual cycle - helped to fill a huge information gap in my life. So when new guidance revealed that police would have access to this safe space should they suspect an illegal abortion, it felt like something special had been ripped away. It is another form of surveillance women would have to submit to. The guidance, quietly released in by the National Police Chiefs' Council in January, states that women who experience a sudden unexpected pregnancy loss, if they suspect a miscarriage, stillbirth or early labour is the result of an illegal abortion could be investigated by the police. The guidance further states that women could have their homes searched for evidence of abortion drugs and their phones seized for their search history, period tracking apps or fertility apps checked for evidence of whether they were aware of their pregnancy. The Mirror heard from popular period tracking apps Flo and Clue, who said they were "shocked" and "outraged" over the new guidance. Now, in an exclusive interview with Rhiannon White, CEO of period tracking app Clue, the detrimental effects of the new guidance were brought to the surface. 'What I find so upsetting about all of this is that it perpetuates the huge gap in women's health,' White told The Mirror. 'There's a lot of talk about the diagnosis gap, the treatment gap and the pain gap, but at the root of all of this is a data gap.' White explains that women's health has long been an afterthought, a prime example being that women weren't mandated to be included in clinical trials until 1993, as stated in the NIH. 'Even today, 75% of trials don't include women in them and those that do include women don't disaggregate the data by sex, leaving the impact on women unclear. And 80% of drugs that are withdrawn post-market are because of unexpected side effects on women. We don't know the most basic information,' she added. Clue is working to fill the data gap, with the permission of women who use the app to use their data to research health issues like PMS, endometriosis and other glaring women's health issues that seem to be ignored. 'If we don't do [the research], no one else is doing it for us, so I can't tell how upset I am as the new guidance just pushes us back even further," White said. To understand the data gap in women's health further, you only have to look at the eight-year long NHS waiting list for an endometriosis diagnosis as one prime example. According to the charity Endometriosis UK, as of 2024, it takes an average of eight years and 10 months to get a diagnosis of endometriosis. Knowing that the police guidance could deter women from tracking their symptoms and, in turn, contributing to what could be lifesaving research in the long run not only affects our gender, but also our society. 'The horrible truth is that reproductive surveillance has been a feature of female life forever, but the possibility of using this data to help (when it's of course properly anonymized and people are given permission) to push forward the research gap is really huge,' White says. 'It strengthens everyone's health when women are healthy.' The new police guidance unnecessarily pushes back on the progression of women's health going digital. According to 2024 research by Bupa, women have embraced digital healthcare, with 73% of women open to using technology to improve their health and wellbeing, and Rhiannon has seen this too through her work at Clue. She said: 'We really see a very powerful opportunity in supporting women and empowering women in that respect and taking charge of their health because bluntly we have to because no one else is going to do it.' In the face of increased reproductive surveillance, worrying developments around women's bodily autonomy, and mounting societal pressures, White hopes women can filter out the noise with one mission: to protect their autonomy and trust their own instincts. 'I just want women to be able to choose what's best for them and have the information so they can make those choices,' White concludes.
Daily Mirror
23-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Period apps 'outraged' at new guidance to search women's phones if they miscarry
Leaders of period tracking apps Flo and Clue have shared their thoughts on the new guidance allowing police to seize a woman's phone and check their period tracking app if she miscarries Popular period tracking apps have revealed that they are "shocked" and "outraged" over the new guidance from the National Police Chiefs' Council, allowing police to check a woman's period tracking apps she experiences pregnancy loss. The guidance, quietly released in January by the NPCC states that women who experience a sudden unexpected pregnancy loss, if they suspect a miscarriage, stillbirth or early labour is the result of an illegal abortion could be investigated by the police. The guidance further states that women could have their homes searched for evidence of abortion drugs and their phones seized for their search history, period tracking apps or fertility apps checked for evidence of whether they were aware of their pregnancy. According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 50 million women worldwide use period tracking apps, and of the big three - Flo, Clue and Period Tracker - there are 250 million downloads combined, as per a University of Oxford study. Rhiannon White, CEO of Clue, told the Mirror that they were "shocked and outraged" at the UK police's development and clarified that Clue "have never, and will never, disclose private health data to any authority." White said: "We have spoken loudly on this subject, particularly in the US since Roe Vs Wade was overturned in 2022. This same position applies to every region around the world. As a business, we have built our foundations on protecting women's rights to data privacy, body autonomy and health equity. We want to provide some clear and immediate actions women can do today to protect themselves better, alongside knowing our continuing commitment to protecting Clue members and their data privacy." White confirmed that Clue members can request to have their personal data deleted at any time, explaining that "members will always have full control and autonomy over their own personal information." "We have never and will never share health data with authorities. We will aggressively challenge any such requests and will never allow our members' data to be used against them," the statement concludes. Similarly, Sue Khan, Vice President of Privacy at Flo Health told The Mirror: "Women deserve to be able to use technology to learn more about their bodies and their personal health, without fearing their data will be unjustly used or taken in a way they have not agreed upon." Khan added: "Not only do these actions breed fear and hostility for women who are already going through an undoubtedly traumatic medical experience, they set a dangerous precedent for weaponizing technology built to serve women's needs." She ended her statement by encouraging users to protect their privacy further by implementing the apps' Anonymous Mode, "a first-of-its-kind technology that gives you the option to access the Flo Health app without your name, email address, or any technical identifiers being associated with your health data. This means nobody, not even Flo, could identify you if pressed.' A spokesperson for the NPCC told The Standard that an investigation would only be initiated where there is credible information to suggest criminal activity. They said: "This would often be because of concerns raised from medical professionals.' They also told The Observer that unexpected pregnancy loss was not 'routinely investigated' and 'any investigation of this nature will always be treated with the utmost sensitivity and compassion'. If you are pregnant or a new mother and you are in crisis, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides free, confidential support 24/7 in English and Spanish. Call or text the hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262).
Telegraph
18-05-2025
- Telegraph
Women who suffer stillbirths could face police searches
Women could face police searches for abortion drugs after stillbirths, according to new guidance. Police chiefs' advice says officers can search for 'drugs that can terminate pregnancy' or look for menstrual cycle tracking apps in cases involving unexplained pregnancy loss. The guidance replaces a 2014 document that talked through investigating women who may have had an illegal abortion, but did not mention stillbirths. The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), which issued the guidance, says an investigation would only be launched where there is 'credible information to suggest criminal activity' has taken place, adding that such cases were rare. The guidance, which was published in January and first reported by The Observer newspaper, says evidence of knowledge and intention relating to the pregnancy can be found through digital evidence. 'The seizure and examination of digital devices used by the woman during her pregnancy should be considered,' it said. 'Internet search history, digital communications with third parties, and health apps such as menstrual cycle and fertility trackers may all provide information to help investigators establish a woman's knowledge and intention in relation to the pregnancy.' The guidance states that illegal abortions are reported to police in 'a variety of circumstances' and lead investigators could be presented with reports of unattended stillbirths. The advice says that searches of 'relevant premises' should be considered if abortion drugs have been used illegally. 'The search objectives will be dependent on the information forming the basis of the cause for concern but will likely need to include abortifacient(s), packaging, documentation and empty medication blister packs', it says. The guidance lists types of drug and brand names, adding that they can be bought online. It states that providing doctors treating the woman involved with information on drugs discovered must take priority over forensic analysis. 'Where any abortifacient medications or substances are recovered during a search it is vital that the lead investigator ensures medical professionals providing care to the woman (and in the case of a live birth, the baby) are informed as it may inform treatment,' it says. 'Where necessary the need for urgent toxicological examination of medications or substances recovered for the purposes of effective medical treatment must take precedence over the forensic or evidential value of the items.' Abortion law is based on the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861. In recent years increasing numbers of women have been investigated and prosecuted under this legislation. Women can end their pregnancies under medical supervision up to 24 weeks, or beyond in certain circumstances, under the Abortion Act of 1967. Dr Ranee Thakar, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, criticised the new guidance. She told The Observer: 'The new guidance is shocking. Women in these circumstances have a right to compassionate care and to have their dignity and privacy respected, not to have their homes, phones, computers and health apps searched, or be arrested and interrogated.' Some abortion providers and medical professionals said they were not consulted over the NPCC guidance and called for it to be changed. Katie Saxon at BPAS, a leading abortion provider, said she was aware of an increase in police investigating abortions in recent years and that it was 'harrowing' to 'see it in black and white after years of criticisms of the way this outdated law is enforced'. She added: 'This [NPCC] guidance was written at the same time as unprecedented threats to global abortion rights and while parliament was set to consider decriminalising abortion. To write it without public conversation or discussion with experts shows just how detached from reality the NPCC is.' It comes after a woman who was in a BDSM relationship with a married couple was cleared of illegally aborting her baby. Nicola Packer, 45, was acquitted by jury of 'unlawfully administering to herself a poison or other noxious thing' with the 'intent to procure a miscarriage'. A National Police Chiefs' Council spokesperson said: 'Unexpected pregnancy loss is not something which is routinely investigated by police as potential illegal abortion, and these are very rare. We recognise how traumatic the experience of losing a child is, with many complexities involved, and any investigation of this nature will always be treated with the utmost sensitivity and compassion. 'An investigation would only be initiated where there is credible information to suggest criminal activity and this would often be as a result of concerns raised from medical professionals. 'Each case would have a set of unique factors to be assessed and investigated depending on its individual circumstances. It would be at the discretion of the senior investigating officer leading the case to determine which reasonable lines of enquiry to follow, which may include toxicology or digital data – again depending on the merits of the specific case. 'It is important to stress that due to the individuality of each case, there is no standardised policy to investigate illegal abortions and that police will always work closely with health partners, prioritising the welfare of everyone involved.'
