Nine out of 10 health apps harvest user data, global study shows

Analysis of 20,000 mobile apps that ask for sensitive information shows that some track users across different platforms

Nine out of 10 mobile health apps collect and track user data, according to a new global study.

The research published in the British Medical Journal conducted in-depth analysis of more than 20,000 mobile health apps on the Google Play Store, some of which require users to disclose sensitive health information, including step and calorie counters, apps that manage health conditions, symptom checkers and menstruation trackers.