Across the world, millions of people have quietly handed over the most intimate details of their bodies — their sleep, their cycles, their symptoms — to health apps they trusted to keep those secrets. A study from Macquarie University, published in the British Medical Journal, reveals that nearly nine in ten of the 20,000-plus health apps on Google's Play Store are using tracking tools to follow users across platforms and devices, feeding that data to advertisers without meaningful consent. It is a reminder that in the digital age, the patient is rarely just a patient — they are also a product
BGR
· Jun 26, 2021
· technology
· 3 min read
High
Sourcing: Verified
Study: 88% of health apps secretly track users across platforms without consent
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Bias & Framing
⚖
Article uses alarmist framing ('hoovering up,' 'ominous,' 'dark side') to present legitimate privacy concerns, though the core study findings are accurately reported.
Bias Direction
center-left
Confidence
MED
Problem-emphasis framing with dramatic language to heighten concern about data collection practices. Opens with positive tech narratives before pivoting to 'dark side' to create contrast and amplify concern.
hoovering up an ominous amount of data
dark side to these trends
you can probably guess where this is going
secretly track users
without consent
App developers' rationale for data collection and tracking practices
Potential benefits of data collection for improving health app functionality
Industry response or defense of current practices
Regulatory or legal context for what constitutes 'consent'
User awareness levels or actual consumer concern about these practices
Geopolitical Impact
🌎
Widespread covert data harvesting by health apps raises cybersecurity and privacy governance concerns across democracies, potentially affecting billions of users globally.
Escalation Risk
moderate
Confidence
HIGH
United States
European Union
Australia
Canada
United Kingdom
Global (88% of Google Play Store apps)
Shift toward regulatory pressure on Big Tech platforms; increased leverage for privacy-focused governments (EU GDPR model) versus data-harvesting business models; growing tension between US tech companies and international privacy standards; Australia's research amplifies non-US regulatory influence.
Similar to Cambridge Analytica scandal (2018) which exposed mass data harvesting and triggered global privacy legislation; echoes tobacco industry's hidden health risks before regulation.
Economic Lens
📈
88% of health apps secretly track users across platforms without consent, raising privacy concerns and potential regulatory risks for app developers and platforms.
Market Signal
bearish
Confidence
HIGH
Healthcare Technology
Digital Advertising
Mobile App Development
Consumer Electronics
Data Privacy Services
Regulatory Compliance
Consumers face unauthorized data collection and cross-platform tracking of sensitive health information, increasing privacy risks, potential identity theft, and unwanted targeted advertising based on personal health conditions.
Likely increased regulatory scrutiny from FTC, state attorneys general, and international regulators (GDPR, etc.). Potential enforcement actions, fines, and stricter consent requirements for health data collection. App stores may face pressure to implement stronger privacy vetting processes.