'We follow strict protocols' - popular period tracking app hits back at backlash
After the damning report from University of Cambridge that select period tracking apps are harvesting and selling user information, popular tracking app Clue has set the record straight.
Clue is a science-based, data-driven menstrual and reproductive health app, trusted by 10 million people globally, and despite their mission to help women - has come under scrutiny following the release of a report from University of Cambridge's Minderoo Centre.
The report said the tracking apps were a "gold mine" for consumer profiling. By collecting customer data, it could allow companies to produce targeted advertisements linked to information users think is kept private.
Under EU and UK law, the data from these period-tracking apps comes under a special category, which means it should have special protections from being sold on - but this report highlights that consent options are not always enforced or implemented. This then allows the data can be sold to advertisers and tech giants such as Facebook and Google.
However Clue has assured users the app follows "strict protocols" when it comes to how data is managed, and said keeping their users safe is at their "core".
Clue CEO Rhiannon White told The Mirror: "We adhere to the very strict standards the European GDPR sets for data security and storage. This applies to the data we hold regardless of where in the world our users are located. Our policy and firm commitment is that no matter where our users are in the world, we will never allow their private health data to be used against them.
"We have never disclosed such data to any authority, and we never will. Anything that does not fundamentally serve female health and the empowerment of people with cycles would be at odds with our principles at Clue," she added.
One of Clue's missions is to help close the research gap in women's health and White assured that when using the data for research, Clue takes the "utmost care and follow strict protocols".
She said gaining insight from de-identified data is an "important part of our mission" because the historical lack of data for research into female health is a major contributing factor to the health gap, so will share this anonymised data with researchers from leading global institutions, such as Stanford and University of Oxford.
"It is up to each user whether they want to help to close that data gap by consenting to their de-identified data being used for this purpose, which is why we offer granular consent options," and added: "This de-identified data is only shared with user consent and all research projects are carefully vetted against our strict criteria to ensure they're in the interest of our community.
Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
"We have never and will never sell or share sensitive data with advertisers, insurers or data brokers. That is not our business model -– our business model is direct to consumer subscriptions, ensuring that our users are our customers, and we serve them."
Rhiannon further detailed that the third party tools Clue uses to work are "vetted and assessed" against the strictest GDPR standards and assured they transparently detail exactly what data is handled by each tool and how in the privacy policy.
"Our servers are located in the EU in Germany and in Ireland. When your data is sent between your device and our Clue servers, we use encrypted data transmission, which scrambles the information being sent so it's unreadable. Doing this increases the security of your data transfer," she added.
But the researchers from the Cambridge study warn that by collecting information, it could allow companies to produce targeted advertisements linked to information users think is kept private. They also worry that if this data gets into the wrong hands, it could even affect access to abortion, health insurance discrimination and cyberstalking as well as risks to job prospects.
"There are real and frightening privacy and safety risks to women as a result of the commodification of the data collected by cycle tracking app companies," said Dr Stefanie Felsberger, the lead author of the report. The report calls on organisations such as the NHS and other health bodies to create a "safer" alternative that is trustworthy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Should Europe wean itself off US tech?
Imagine if US President Donald Trump could flip a switch and turn off Europe's may sound far-fetched, crazy even. But it's a scenario that has been seriously discussed in tech industry and policy circles in recent months, as tensions with Washington have escalated, and concerns about the EU's reliance on American technology have come to the the root of these concerns is the fact just three US giants - Google, Microsoft and Amazon - provide 70% of Europe's cloud-computing infrastructure, the scaffolding on which many online services some question whether an unpredictable US leader would weaponize the situation if relations seriously deteriorated - for example, by ordering those companies to turn off their services in Europe."Critical data would become inaccessible, websites would go dark, and essential state services like hospital IT systems would be thrown into chaos," says Robin Berjon, a digital governance specialist who advises EU believes that concerns over a so called US "kill switch" should be taken seriously. "It's hard to say how much trouble we would be in." Microsoft, Google and Amazon all say they offer "sovereign" cloud computing solutions that safeguard EU clients' data, and would prevent such a scenario ever occurring. The BBC has contacted the US Treasury department for truth, there have always been concerns about the lack of "digital sovereignty" in Europe, where US firms not only dominate the cloud-computing market, but also hardware, satellite internet and now artificial the region's main mobile operating systems - Apple and Android - and payment networks - Mastercard and Visa - are fears became urgent in May when it emerged that Karim Khan, the top prosecutor at the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court (ICC), had lost access to his Microsoft Outlook email account after being sanctioned by the White ICC has issued arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their roles in the Israel-Gaza war - something Mr Trump called "illegitimate".Khan has since temporarily stepped aside until a sexual misconduct probe against him is says that "at no point" did it cease or suspend its services to the ICC, although it was in touch with the ICC "throughout the process that resulted in the disconnection". Since then digital sovereignty has shot up the agenda in Brussels, while some public bodies are already seeking alternatives to US is it realistic to think they could wean themselves off US technology?Digital sovereignty is loosely defined as the ability of a governing body to control the data and technology systems within its problem faced by those pursuing it is the lack of comparable does have its own providers, such as France's OVHCloud, or Germany's Germany's T-Systems or Delos, in cloud they account for a fraction of the market, and don't have the same scale or range of capabilities, says Dario Maisto, a senior analyst covering digital sovereignty at global business consultancy open-source alternatives are available for common software packages like Office and Windows, but while proponents say they are more transparent and accessible, none is as comprehensive or well known. But while moving to sovereign alternatives wouldn't "happen overnight", it's a "myth" to think it's not possible, says Mr notes that the German state of Schleswig-Holstein is currently in the process of phasing out Microsoft products like Office 365 and Windows in favour of open-source solutions such as LibreOffice and Linux. Denmark's Ministry for Digitalisation is piloting a similar scheme."We sometimes overvalue the role of proprietary software in our organisations," Mr Maisto says, pointing out that for key services like word processing and email, open-source solutions work just fine."The main reasons organisations don't use open source are a lack of awareness and misplaced fears about cyber security," he adds."Our prediction is in the next five to 10 years, there will be an accelerated shift [to these solutions] because of this wake-up call." Benjamin Revcolevschi, boss of OVHCloud, tells the BBC that firms like his are ready to answer the sovereignty needs of public and private organisations in Europe."Only European cloud providers, whose headquarters are in the EU and with European governance, are able to offer immunity to non-European laws, to protect sensitive and personal data," he Microsoft, Amazon and Google say they already offer solutions that address concerns about digital sovereignty, solutions which store data on severs in the clients' country or region, not in the tells the BBC that it also partners with trusted local EU suppliers like T-Systems, granting them control over the encryption of client data, and giving customers "a technical veto over their data". The German Army is one of its Microsoft president Brad Smith has promised the firm would take legal action in the "exceedingly unlikely" event the US government ordered it to suspend services, and that it would include a clause in European contracts to that effect."We will continue to look for new ways to ensure the European Commission and our European customers have the options and assurances they need to operate with confidence," a Microsoft spokesman told the BBC. Zach Meyers, from the Brussels-based Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) think tank, says it might make sense for Europe to develop its own limited sovereign cloud to protect critical government he adds that it's unrealistic to try to "get Americans out of the supply chain, or to ensure that there's Europeans in the supply chain at each point".He points to Gaia X - a scheme launched in 2020 to create a European-based alternative to large, centralised cloud platforms, which has faced significant criticism and delays."A lot of these [tech] markets are winner takes all, so once you're the first mover it's really hard for anyone else to catch up."Instead, Mr Meyers thinks Europe should focus on areas of technology where it might gain an edge."It could be the industrial use of AI, because Europe already has a much bigger, stronger industrial base than the US has," he says. "Or the next generation of chipmaking equipment, because one of the few areas where Europe has foothold is in photolithography - the machines that make the really top-end chips." So where does the digital sovereignty agenda go from here?Some believe nothing will change unless Europe brings in new regulations that force regional organisations and governments to buy local technology. But according to Mr Berjon, the EU has been dragging its feet."There is definitely political interest, but it's a question of turning it into a shared strategy."Matthias Bauer, director at the European Centre for International Political Economy, thinks the goal should be building up Europe's technology sector so it can compete with the US and a report on EU competitiveness in 2024, Mario Draghi, former head of the European Central Bank, noted Europe is "severely lagging behind" in new technologies, and that "only four of the world's top 50 tech companies are European"."It's currently much harder for a tech company based in the EU to scale across the bloc than it would be for the same company in the US," Mr Bauer says."You not only face different languages, but different contract law, labour market laws, tax laws, and also different sector-specific regulation."As for the theory that President Trump might flip a "kill switch" and turn off Europe's internet, he's highly sceptical."It would be a realistic scenario if we were close to a war, but I don't see that on the horizon."Yet Mr Maisto says organisations must take the risk seriously, however remote."Two years ago, we didn't think we would be talking about these topics in these terms in 2025. Now organisations want to get ready for what might happen."
Finextra
3 days ago
- Finextra
Deep Dive: The Rise of Spend Management Fintechs in the EU and UK: By Sam Boboev
As a fintech product manager and enthusiast who writes a newsletter, I constantly monitor developments in fintech, payments, banking, and related markets. Recently, my attention has been drawn to the spend or expense management landscape, especially after witnessing significant funding rounds by companies such as Payhawk, Ageras, and Light. These European companies have grown substantially in recent years and show tremendous potential for further expansion. On a personal note, I always considered spend management a part of business banking until I realized it was a distinct field. This revelation occurred when I submitted a reimbursement form via a spreadsheet and emailed my receipt to the finance team. A brief conversation with them revealed that they were using basic tools like spreadsheets, company chats/emails, and accounting software. They mentioned they were exploring the market to find solutions for better expense management. This experience, combined with the recent funding news, inspired me to delve deeper into the expense management landscape. Let Technology Do the Job Spend management is not a new concept, similar to many other fintech innovations. Companies have always managed their expenses using various tools, including Excel spreadsheets, accounting software, and bill payment tools. Corporate cards have also helped companies manage employee expenses and payments, albeit with a stack consisting of multiple moving parts and interactions. As technology has progressed, so has the world of finance. The European and UK financial landscapes began to change significantly between 2013 and 2015 with the launch of digital banks like Monzo, Starling, and Revolut. These digital banks revolutionized customer experience by digitizing banking and payment processes, allowing customers to open bank accounts via mobile apps and order payment cards instantly. This shift marked a turning point in finance and banking, leading to exponential growth in features and solutions offered by single apps. Fintechs have since evolved into super apps, covering nearly all aspects of their customers' financial needs. This innovation quickly extended to business banking. For instance, Starling was among the first digital banks to launch a marketplace of tools for SMEs, enabling easy integration of various software to automate business processes. The integration of accounting software like Xero, Sage, and QuickBooks in such marketplaces set the stage for modern spend management tools. Game On for Spend Management The European spend management market is hot, with selected companies in this sector raising a combined $2.5 billion, according to my estimates. While my calculations exclude digital banks like Revolut, which also offer spend management solutions, the growth trajectory of these companies is worth exploring. Qonto, a leading spend management company in Europe, was launched in 2016. Initially offering payment accounts for sole traders and small businesses, Qonto has since expanded its product range to include virtual and physical cards, invoice management, bookkeeping tools, and various integrations. The company has raised $709.5 million and made three acquisitions. Payhawk is another major player, providing services globally with significant growth in the UK market. In Q1 2024, Payhawk reported an 86% global revenue growth YoY, with the UK contributing to a 127% increase. The company's ARR growth was also impressive, at 85% globally and 122% in the UK. Payhawk has raised a total of $239.1 million over six rounds and plans to increase its UK headcount by 44% following strong performance. Pleo, a Danish fintech, has a strong position in the European market. It raised €40 million in debt financing from HSBC Innovation Banking to offer higher credit limits and expand its overdraft facilities across Europe. Pleo's overdraft services are already in use in Sweden, Germany, and the UK, with plans to extend to the Netherlands. Moss, a Germany-based corporate card fintech, raised a €50 million debt facility from HSBC Innovation Banking UK to accelerate its European expansion. The company reported 100% growth in ARR and 120% net revenue retention over the past year. Moss plans to invest further in treasury and AI, including pre-accounting automation, using the additional capital raised. These examples highlight the significant growth and potential of European spend management fintechs. What about these companies? I learned that US-based spend management companies such as Brex, Ramp, and Mercury all started with venture-backed software companies in mind—well, it is Silicon Valley anyway. However, they did not stop there, expanding from mid-sized to enterprise companies. But what about European companies? How did they start their journey? The spend management market and companies are different in comparison to the US market. Often, European companies start with their core market and with smaller businesses in mind. For example, Qonto started in France with micro-businesses and self-employed individuals or freelancers as its target audiences. Therefore, it focuses on the process of registering the business, making payments, and managing invoices, which are very essential for individuals who are just starting their business. Qonto directly speaks to the owners of the businesses and simplifies not only expense management but the overall running of the business. On the other hand, Payhawk positions itself as a more comprehensive expense management tool. Payhawk focuses not so much on startups and small companies but on mid-sized companies. Payhawk's target audiences are CFOs and finance managers. The company enables its customers to manage their expenses in real-time through different tools, e.g., corporate cards, spend categorization, and spend policies. One of the virtues of fintech companies like Payhawk is that they can compile all expense data into one simple platform. Another interesting factor about Payhawk is that it is available in markets where competition is low, such as Central Europe, Spain, and Germany. They save time and money using an expense platform with cards. Unlike the previous two companies, the Swedish expense management company Pleo focuses on startups as well as large businesses and is similar to its counterparts in the UK. Pleo offers business cards, payment accounts, and comprehensive integrations with different accounts and other software. One of the main things that makes Pleo different from other players in the market is that the company tailors its software for certain industries such as technology, healthcare, retail, transport, etc. This approach helps the company offer unique experiences and solve problems specific to certain industries. As I mentioned above, European companies start with core markets where they are based and address the problems of those markets. However, once they achieve product-market fit in those markets, they rapidly expand into other European countries. Since they do not require additional licenses to expand, their market entry is quite smooth. Now, let's explore their product strategies. Product Stack Says It All Spend management is not just about tracking every euro spent; it's about analyzing company spending and extracting valuable insights. Companies of all sizes need to understand their spending patterns, optimize fund usage, and forecast future expenses. While small companies mainly need spending insights, larger entities require tools for quick and efficient fund access and utilization. Following the lead of digital banks, spend management fintechs have built their product strategies around integrations and marketplaces. Technologies like Banking as a Service (BaaS), Card as a Service (CaaS), Payment as a Service (PaaS), and Open Banking, all based on API technology, have enabled companies to launch comprehensive financial solutions. Most spend management fintechs began with basic products like payment accounts and cards, using smart data filtering and categorization to attract initial customers. In the modern world, most company expenses usually start with small card payments for different subscriptions and employee reimbursements. Based on my personal experience I can say that finance teams do not often understand department-specific tools and procedures which require departments to manage their own expense. In this type of scenario department specific cards and accounts play an important role in streamlining spend management and data collection for the finance teams. As these companies grew, they increased the sophistication of their payment flows, enabling companies to build various use cases for their employees. These include integrations of Google and Apple Pay Centralised subscription management and rule setting and others. These solutions help companies to manage their finance at scale in real time. The product strategy of spend management fintechs often revolves around integrations, ultimately leading them to become all-in-one solutions or multi-product strategies. After building core products, these fintechs progress to enabling their customers to get a full view of their expenses and finances by integrating accounting software like Sage, Xero, and QuickBooks. This type of integration has pushed some companies to focus on such solutions; for example, Codat enables fintechs and banks to quickly integrate accounting software. The next stage of the product strategy is to provide the ability for companies to manage their invoices or, in other words, accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR). Similar to integration with accounting software, this solution is either bought or built in-house, depending on the size of the company and its goals. My observations show that the range of product positions in spend management companies is quite wide. Most companies grow from simple to sophisticated product propositions, evolving from corporate cards to more integrated platforms. On the other hand, another trend I noticed is that companies initially focused on other verticals are also entering the spend management segment with the help of modern API technologies mentioned above. One such company is Ageras, an accountant or bookkeeper platform. However, after reviewing their platform, I noticed that the company offers most of the expense management services, e.g., bank accounts, cards, invoicing, lending, etc. Earlier in the spring of 2024, Ageras raised €82 million in fresh equity for new acquisitions and aims to complete 1-2 major acquisitions before a potential IPO in 2026. Generative AI is creating new avenues for the spend management stack. I believe these companies can get the best out of Gen AI, and the first place it can be implemented is in financial analysis and predictions. AI software is expected to be key in collecting and analyzing data from different integrations these fintechs have. For example, most companies have integration with major corporate communication tools such as Slack and Microsoft Teams. AI can already extract information directly from chats between finance and other departments and add it to the accounts or help finance teams quickly extract information from ledgers and share it with team members. Danish startup Light has recently exited stealth mode with $13 million in funding. The goal of the company is to modernize the CFO stack with the use of Gen AI. 'We use one model to help bookkeep all line items with correct taxes and accounts, and we use another model to help the C-suite to ask questions about revenue, costs, and profit — directly from Slack,' Jonathan Sanders told TechCrunch.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Scotsman
Man's fitness ruined by fake Manuka honey – what he learned the hard way
Manuka Doctor honey provides slow-release energy – Bruce takes a spoonful with breakfast every day to fuel his workouts | Manuka Doctor This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Bruce thought Manuka honey would give him more energy – but the supermarket jar he bought left him disappointed. Then he found a certified brand that actually worked. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Bruce Lloyd had always been active. A regular runner and keen climber, the 36-year-old data analyst from Brighton was used to pushing himself hard. But earlier this year, he hit a wall. 'I just couldn't find the energy,' he says. 'I'd drag myself out for a run, but I was slower, tired, and I wasn't enjoying it. I even gave up climbing for a few weeks. I tried everything – energy bars, juice cleanses, cutting caffeine – but nothing made much difference.' Then Bruce came across Manuka honey. He'd read that it provides a slow, steady energy release and is packed with natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It seemed like the perfect clean boost to help get his routine back on track. But his first try didn't go to plan. 'I picked up a jar from the supermarket that said Manuka honey on the front. I thought I was making a good choice – but nothing changed. I still felt sluggish and flat,' Bruce says. 'At first I assumed it was just another wellness fad.' What he didn't realise at the time was that most of the so-called Manuka honey on UK shelves isn't the real thing. A recent EU report found that 46% of honeys tested were adulterated – and every UK sample failed the purity test. With Manuka honey selling for four or five times the price of regular honey, it's become a major target for food fraud. Fitness fans like use certified Manuka honey as a natural pre-workout boost – but only when it's the real thing | Manuka Doctor 'The more I read, the more I realised I'd been conned,' Bruce says. 'Unless it's from New Zealand, with an official MGO rating and traceability back to the hive, it might not even be Manuka at all.' After digging a little deeper, Bruce discovered Manuka Doctor, a New Zealand-based producer with over 100,000 five-star reviews and full certification on every jar. He switched brands – and this time, the difference was immediate. 'Within a few days, I felt like my old self,' he says. 'My mood lifted, my energy came back, and I started actually looking forward to runs again. I take a spoonful every morning with my breakfast – sometimes in yogurt or porridge, sometimes just on its own. I even carry the squeeze bottle in my gym bag now.' Packed and tested in New Zealand, Manuka Doctor honey comes with full traceability and verified MGO ratings. It's also the only brand endorsed by TV's Dr Hilary Jones. For Bruce, the change has been worth it. 'It's now just part of my routine. I feel stronger, more focused – and I won't waste my money on dodgy supermarket jars again.' Canva Get beach-ready with MySweetSmile's gentle teeth whitening range £ 20.99 Buy now Buy now Sunshine, selfies and holiday cocktails – summer is here, and so are all the moments you'll want to capture with a glowing smile. Whether you're jetting off for a beach escape or heading to a sunny staycation, MySweetSmile can help you look your best. This UK best-seller offers peroxide-free, gentle whitening that works its magic without harsh ingredients or faff. Their powder is perfect for whitening before take-off, while the handy on-the-go pen is great for keeping your smile photo-ready poolside. Shop the full MySweetSmile summer-ready range here.
