Comment by jedimastert
6 days ago
Third paragraph:
> The report’s authors caution that cycle tracking app (CTA) data in the wrong hands could result in risks to job prospects, workplace monitoring, health insurance discrimination and cyberstalking – and limit access to abortion.
Did you miss it or are you disagreeing with these being a threat?
Or violence or even death. Certain cultures don't take to kindly to pregnancies outside marriage, or maybe the family disagree with the choice of partner. A cousin works for the app company, leaks the information about an unexpected pregnancy to a conservative father or uncle. Girls is shipped of to family back home and is tragically stabbed to death a few days after arriving.
Most people who collect data of this type of data lacks imagination if they don't think it can be misused.
More likely they believe that because they only collect the information they aren't culpable for what other people do with it.
Good point about family violence threats. That wasn't in the article, but makes sense.
The cyberstalking is the most applicable, but I dont see what the menstral data would provide vs not having the mentstral data. A name and address could present a potential threat, but knowing which days someone is bleeding one doesn't seem to be useful in attacking someone unless you believe it makes them a weaker target or something.
The others aren't about safety. The one about restricting abortion is a false attribution as the laws would be the thing actually restricting it, not the use of the app.
I'm not saying the problems shouldn't be addressed, but claiming safety is at risk is a bit of a stretch.
> knowing which days someone is bleeding one doesn't seem to be useful in attacking someone unless you believe it makes them a weaker target or something.
I have other things to say here but immediately this is a wildly gross and sexist way to phrase this.
> The others aren't about safety
> risks to job prospects, workplace monitoring, health insurance discrimination
A threat to livelihood and proper health care is a threat to safety, and the fact that you don't recognize that should hopefully trigger some amount of self-reflection.
Beyond that the fact that you can't make the really simple connection between knowing someone's menstrual cycle and knowing their pregnancy status means I deeply hope you take some time to self-reflect and maybe consider that you don't quite have the tools to engage in a nuance conversation about this and should instead take some time to listen to others
"A threat to livelihood and proper health care is a threat to safety, and the fact that you don't recognize that should hopefully trigger some amount of self-reflection."
A threat to livelihood is not a direct threat to safety. If we take this indirect route of logic, it can be applied to anything. Furthermore, how is it a threat to livelihood? Don't we have protected statuses for pregnant women in employment law?
"Beyond that the fact that you can't make the really simple connection between knowing someone's menstrual cycle and knowing their pregnancy status means I deeply hope you take some time to self-reflect and maybe consider that you don't quite have the tools to engage in a nuance conversation about this and should instead take some time to listen to others"
I'm asking legitimate questions, but I'm getting emotional responses instead of logical ones. You're making implications here about menstrual vs pregnancy status but not forming an actual response about them.