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action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114Source: https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/5\/4\/22985296\/mental-health-app-privacy-policies-happify-cerebral-betterhealth-7cups<\/a> In the world of mental health apps, privacy scandals have become almost routine. Every few months, reporting or research uncovers unscrupulous-seeming data sharing practices at apps like the Crisis Text Line, Talkspace, BetterHelp, and others: people gave information to those apps in hopes of feeling better, then it turns out their data was used in ways that help companies make money (and don\u2019t help them).<\/p>\n It seems to me like a twisted game of whack-a-mole. When<\/a> under<\/a> scrutiny<\/a>, the apps<\/a> often<\/a> change or adjust their policies \u2014 and then new apps or problems pop up. It isn\u2019t just me: Mozilla researchers said this week<\/a> that mental health apps have some of the worst privacy protections of any app category. <\/p>\n Watching the cycle over the past few years got me interested in how, exactly, that keeps happening. The terms of service and privacy policies on the apps are supposed to govern what companies are allowed to do with user data. But most people barely read them before signing (hitting accept), and even if they do read them, they\u2019re often so complex that it\u2019s hard to know their implications on a quick glance. <\/p>\n \u201c\u200b\u200bThat makes it completely unknown to the consumer about what it means to even say yes,\u201d says David Grande, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine who studies digital health privacy. <\/p>\n So what does it mean to say yes? I took a look at the fine print on a few to get an idea of what\u2019s happening under the hood. \u201cMental health app\u201d is a broad category, and it can cover anything from peer-to-peer counseling hotlines to AI chatbots to one-on-one connections with actual therapists. The policies, protections, and regulations vary between all of the categories. But I found two common features between many privacy policies that made me wonder what the point even was of having a policy in the first place. <\/p>\n Even if you do a close, careful read of a privacy policy before signing up for a digital mental health program, and even if you feel really comfortable with that policy \u2014 sike, the company can go back and change that policy whenever they want. They might tell you \u2014 they might not. <\/p>\n
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<\/br><\/code><\/p>\nWe can change this policy at any time<\/h3>\n