Researchers from the University of New South Wales Sydney, the Sydney-based Black Dog Institute, and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry in Boston examined 36 apps for depression and smoking cessation that were highest ranked in the iOS and Android app stores in early 2018. Results show that 33 of the programs transmitted user data to Facebook, Google or other entities for advertising or analytical purposes, but only 12 fully disclosed this practice to users.
Just 23 of the surveyed apps incorporated privacy policies mentioning that data would be transmitted to a third party, and many of those fail to explicitly describe how the data will be used, and by which third parties.
According to the study’s authors, despite the mental health benefits of these and similar apps, the lack of disclosure “may limit their ability to offer effective guidance to consumers and health care professionals,” who would likely prefer to know whether and how their personal health information is accessed by advertising and analytical firms.
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