Pay No Attention to That Man behind the Curtain: An Ethical Analysis of the Monetization of Menstruation App Data

Abstract

The revelation that menstruation tracking apps share sensitive data with third parties, like Facebook, provoked a sense of violation among users. This case highlights the need to address ethics and governance of health data created outside of traditional healthcare contexts. Commodifying health data breaches trust and entails health and moral risks. Through the metaphor of The Wizard of Oz, we argue that these apps approximate healthcare without the professional competency, fiduciary duties, legal protections and liabilities such care requires and thus represent an innovation in the annals of snake-oil salesmanship and the systematic devaluing of women’s bodies, lives, and work.