The Independent - 'Intimate health data has been sold by menopause apps' (Aug 2026)

Tier 2: Professional organization or credentialed expert guidance
Publisher: The Independent · Published: August 14, 2026 · Accessed: August 17, 2026

Claims this source supports

The Independent investigation (Aug 2026): millions of women's intimate health data has been sold by menopause apps, and the practice is still happening - with a lack of proper support, millions of women are trusting apps to help navigate menopause.
Track record context: in August 2025, period-tracking app Flo settled a four-year-old claim accusing the company of sharing the personal health data of millions of US women with Meta, Google and other third parties; under the settlements Google agreed to pay $48m (£36m) and Flo $8m (£6m).
The femtech data-sale pattern documented for period and fertility apps is now extending to menopause apps as the category booms - symptom logs, medication records and cycle data are the commodity.