New publication: "Data Protection, Privacy and Reproductive Rights in Femtech: Evidence from Play Store User Reviews"

 

The paper "Data Protection, Privacy and Reproductive Rights in Femtech: Evidence from Play Store User Reviews," in the Springer journal Sexuality Research and Social Policy" was recently published. 

This study places Femtech users' voices at the centre of the analysis. Drawing on 89,738 reviews from 20 Femtech applications available on the Google Play Store, we explore how users experience and understand issues related to data protection, privacy, and reproductive rights. To do so, we combined three complementary methods: a domain-specific keyword list, structural topic modelling, and qualitative analysis.

Our findings show that users often value period-tracking and pregnancy-related features, but concerns frequently arise around the commercialisation of intimate data. We also found that medical inaccuracies, misinformation, and limited options for tracking experiences such as miscarriage or pregnancy loss can undermine reproductive rights. At the same time, Femtech platforms adopt different approaches when responding to major reproductive rights controversies.

This publication marks an important milestone for #THELMA, as it places users' voices at the centre of the analysis. The findings demonstrate that app reviews are a valuable source of evidence for improving Femtech research, development, and regulation, while highlighting the need for stronger protections for users in an increasingly data-driven health ecosystem.

The paper can be accessed by clicking this link.

#YourCycleYourVoice #MenstruationRights #YourDataYourRights #genderandlaw #MSCA #MSCActions #EUfunded #HorizonEU #THELMA

Funded by the European Union under the Agreement No 101149321. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.