One Year Later *Privacy Not Included Research Finds Too Many Mental Health Apps Are Even Worse at Privacy Hello, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And while awareness of the importance of mental healthcare has grown, in 2023 there are still so few of us who have access to affordable therapy. That means free and low cost mental health apps carry a heavy load. They can help you relax, manage your illness, improve your self-care routine, and lend an ear when you need it. But what happens when the apps that we turn to in times of need can’t be trusted? One year ago, *Privacy Not Included reviewed 32 popular mental health and prayer apps. At that time, it was the worst-performing product category our research team had ever seen. A staggering 29 mental health apps earned our *Privacy Not Included warning label when we launched our research. We wanted to know what’s changed over the last year? In addition to taking a second look at the most popular apps reviewed last year, our team researched five new apps that *Privacy Not Included readers asked us to look into – Cerebral, Insight Timer, Finch, Ginger, and Replika: My AI Friend. What we found was at times refreshing, sometimes creepy, and, on occasion, downright dangerous. A few of our findings: - 11 of the apps’ privacy we reviewed got worse since 2022. This includes some of the most popular apps, like Headspace, Talkspace, and Betterhelp, that have millions of subscribers around the world.
- Of the five new apps reviewed this year, three earned our *Privacy Not Included warning label, including the Replika app, also known as the “AI companion who cares,” which may be the first product reviewed to fail at every criteria used by the *Privacy Not Included research team.
- On the bright side, eight of last year’s apps privacy actually improved – including Calm, shaking off the *Privacy Not Included warning label. And last year’s Best Ofs – PTSD Coach and Wysa stayed strong, keeping their status.
So, what can you do? We don’t suggest throwing in the towel on mental health apps just yet, or ever. Our goal is to empower these companies to do better by holding them accountable. And, it’s working. At least seven of the apps we reviewed last year improved their security or privacy policies after we asked them to. You can help us do more. In the meantime, here are some recommendations that can help reduce the risk to your privacy. Do: | ✔ | Read the reviews of the apps we provide in our new *Privacy Not Included guide to educate yourself on what data is collected and how it can be used. Choose apps that respect your privacy whenever possible. |
| ✔ | Keep your app updated (this ensures security vulnerabilities are patched quickly). |
| ✔ | Always use a strong and unique password when signing up. |
Try to avoid: | ❌ | Signing up through or linking any of your social media accounts like Facebook or Google. |
| ❌ | Giving consent for your data to be shared, sold, or used for advertising purposes. |
| ❌ | Providing any additional (especially personal) information than what’s needed to use the app. And when you’re finished using it, request that your information be deleted. |
For more recommendations and detailed information about the risks to your privacy, read our roundup or individual mental health app reviews. Thank you for reading and supporting *Privacy Not Included, Jen Caltrider, Misha Rykov, & Zoë MacDonald Your *Privacy Not Included Team
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