My phone's health app started giving me ads for back braces

It happened a couple days ago. I was just checking my step count, and right there in the app was an ad for a specific brand of back support. The only way it could know I have back issues is from me logging my own pain levels in that same app over the past year. It feels like they took my private notes and sold them. I didn't agree to that, I just wanted to track my own health. It's my data, right? What's the point of even having these personal logs if they just get used against you? Has anyone else had their own logged data turn into targeted ads like that?

4 comments

4 Comments

margaretramirez3mo ago

What did you think the free app was for?

christopherw343mo ago

That Wired article last year said 78% of free apps make money by selling user data.

owens.anthony3mo ago

More like 78% use ads, not just sell data.

angelarivera1mo ago

Honestly, I just started reading the privacy policies more carefully. It's a pain, but it helps you spot the bad ones.