An analysis published this week by researchers at Mozilla brings an important caveat about mental health and prayer practices. According to a guide that analyzed 32 apps of this type, most of these software have worse privacy protection than othersto disclose sensitive data of its users.
According to the leader of the so-called guide *Privacy Not Included (privacy not included in English), the vast majority of mental health apps Jen Caltrider reads the phrase, “Follow, share, and tap into users’ most intimate personal thoughts and feelings, such as mood, mental state, and biometric data.”
Especially popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, these apps are designed to interact with their users, but by collecting information, absorbing large amounts of personal data, according to experts, is under poor privacy protection. Of the 32 apps analyzed, 29 received the “privacy not included” label; this means poor security practices or a lack of concern about the quality of passwords used.
What mental health practices have weak privacy rules?
Mozilla’s expert analysis revealed that currently the worst app apps are: Better Help, Youper, Woebot, Better Stop Suicide, Pray.com, and Talkspace. In the example of Woebot, a mental health chatbot specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy, information collected from users is shared for advertising purposes. New York online therapy platform Talkspace collects transcripts of conversations with users.
Given the difficulty of finding traditional treatments in this area, especially during times of social isolation, during the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health practices have taken a leading role. As a result, these apps provided quick and affordable help, but at an apparently high cost, according to the report.
For Mozilla researcher Misha Rykov, this software” data suction machines with a mental health app overlay.”
Source: Tec Mundo
