Why we should worry that Facebook now knows when you’re on your period

By Micha Frazer-Carroll

Updated May 17, 2020 at 09:20 AM

Reading time: 2 minutes

982

In what seems like an endless string of invasions of privacy from Facebook, as of this week we now know that not even our menstrual cycles are safe. That’s right, Facebook may be using our periods against us through a period-tracking app called Flo, which was revealed to be sharing data with Facebook. 25 million active users were potentially affected by the breach.

It’s something we’ve heard before, from Cambridge Analytica to the revelations that Netflix and Spotify also use sensitive data. With Flo, the nature of the data-share is particularly shocking—as the issue of periods relates to marginalised people, with women and people assigned female at birth overwhelmingly affected. This is an example of how biotech is being exploited and weaponised against us as the closest, most embodied, most intimate parts of our lives are being intertwined with technology.

A good question that springs from this is: what is the purpose of sharing this data, exactly? When we consider the ethics of more targeted advertising, one of the clearest dangers is that it makes us buy more because it’s so accurate. But regarding data on how we menstruate, the answer is still unclear as to how brands use this for their advantage barring the obvious cliches of advertising things menstruating women might want, crave or need. Flo allows users to input information when they’re trying to conceive, and also has a ‘pregnancy mode’ for when users are pregnant—a function that would be incredibly lucrative for marketing in the big business of babies.

Zane-Priede

Another question commonly asked about Facebook’s relationship with data sharing is whether it’s right to only see it as damaging to consumers. Could the benefit of better advertising be mutual? After all, as consumers, we’re more likely to be exposed to content that we’re actually interested in buying, with less irritating, irrelevant clutter on our feeds. This carries to an extent; more than once I’ve had nudges to revisit pages for products I’ve been considering buying, and been thankful for the nudge, as I’d forgotten.

But in the case of Flo, there’s a clear difference between consensual data sharing and user exploitation. There’s also the ethical issue of consumers constantly and subconsciously being pushed to buy in social spheres. User rights lie at the crux of the issue. With huge corporate forces at play, as consumers and platform users, we deserve to know what data is going where, and to provide consent before it happens. It’s true that the general public, myself included, are largely unaware of the real-world meaning of the fine print and what it entails as far as our data. Yet it’s dangerous that this lack of knowledge is being exploited.

While it feels like a new revelation comes every week when it comes to the sharing of our data, is there anything we can do as users? There are some steps we can take, like utilising the scores of information that exist on in-built tools for protecting our data. We can also ensure we’re as literate as we can be in terms and conditions, and privacy policies, as well as actually ensuring we pay attention when scandals like this break, rather than rolling our eyes and muttering “typical”.

We can also continue to lobby organisations to do better. #DeleteFacebook sprung up around this time last year when Cambridge Analytica broke. While staying away from Facebook doesn’t exactly solve the issue, the Flo data-share affected Facebook users and non-users alike; dissenting from platforms that don’t respect our privacy can still symbolise protest.

It’s true that the tools in themselves may not be harmful, but unfortunately what we’re seeing is the same old structures churning out the same old inequalities. The burden to fix it should not solely lie on us—unless we hurl our smartphones into the sea, we cannot outright halt the exploitation of our data. But that’s not to say we shouldn’t weigh up what we can and can’t live without. Reflecting on Flo, I know I’ll personally be sticking with my calendar.

Micha Frazer-Carroll is arts and culture editor at gal-dem and writes for HuffPost U.K.

Keep On Reading

By Kit Warchol

Is Dry January sexist? A look into the gendered politics behind Gen Z’s favourite wellness trend

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Israel’s controversial ban on UNRWA: Examining the legal fallout and humanitarian consequences

By Abby Amoakuh

Man behind Glasgow Willy Wonka experience put on sex offenders list for abusive behaviour

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

P&O Cruises under fire after staff caught on film wearing KKK-like costumes at Christmas party

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Donald Trump’s viral McDonald’s shift mocked online for being completely staged

By J'Nae Phillips

The goth girl glow-up: How Jenna Ortega’s helping Gen Z rethink this dark aesthetic

By Charlie Sawyer

Did the Daily Mail shut down the TikTok parody account History Mail?

By Abby Amoakuh

Lamar Odom shocks internet after revealing he ordered a custom-made sex doll of Khloe Kardashian

By Abby Amoakuh

A lawyer breaks down Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battles. Here’s the verdict

By Charlie Sawyer

TMZ using Shawn Mendes’ sexuality for clicks proves they’ve learnt nothing since Liam Payne

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Real estate agents are using TikTok trends to captivate Gen Z buyers

By Abby Amoakuh

#swiftieracism begins trending on X after Taylor Swift fans hurl racist abuse at Beyoncé

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Bonnie Blue breaks world record by sleeping with 1,057 men in just 12 hours. Is this empowerment or exploitation?

By Abby Amoakuh

Meet Laura and Becky, the women hunting and exposing cheaters live to thousands on TikTok

By Emma O'Regan-Reidy

Why Gen Z is obsessed with cyber sigilism tattoos and their mystical origins

By Abby Amoakuh

Nara Smith and Ballerina Farm’s collaboration sparks online debate with tradwife conspiracy theories

By Charlie Sawyer

Conspiracy theorists claim Los Angeles wildfires were started on purpose to make way for SmartLA 2028 agenda

By Louis Shankar

BlueSky sees 300% surge in users after 2024 US presidential election

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Channel 4’s Go Back to Where You Came From is a disturbing social experiment that completely misses the mark

By Charlie Sawyer

Is Lana Del Rey dating alligator tour guide Jeremy Dufrene to prep for her upcoming country album?