Recovery Record: Eating Disorder Management

Recovery Record updated their privacy policy in May, 2022 after we published our review. They have since clarified some things in their privacy policy that help us feel better about some of the concerns we have. We still have a few questions about their privacy practices, but less than before.

Recovery Record can collect a fair amount of personal and usage data, including name, age, gender, city/town, and email address. They also say "clinicians and support persons involved in your care may provide us information, including protected health information, about you." They do say US HIPAA privacy laws requires them "to, among other things, apply reasonable and appropriate measures to safeguard the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of this information." This is a fine line it seems many mental health apps walk -- the line between the privacy protections therapists are required to follow under HIPAA laws and the current data economy apps operate under that leads to the collection of personal information to provide and market their paid services.

Recovery Record also may collect anonymized or aggregate data and "use it for any purpose." That's a pretty broad statement. Especially because it's been shown to be pretty easy to re-identify user data.

Another line from Recovery Record's privacy policy that leaves us just a little worried "From time to time, we may desire to use information about you for uses not previously disclosed in this Privacy Policy. If our practices change regarding previously collected information in a way that would be materially less restrictive than stated in the version of this Privacy Policy in effect at the time we collected the information, we will make reasonable efforts to provide notice and obtain consent to any such uses as may be required by law." All that sounds like it could be fine. However, as The Verge pointed out, mental health apps can change their privacy policies at any time and they don't always make a lot of effort to let users know when their privacy practices have changed. Hopefully Recovery Record will ensure all users know when and if their privacy polices changes.

We'll end with one more statement from Recovery Record's privacy policy that serves as a warning for everything shared on the internet, "Unfortunately, the Internet and mobile networks over which our Services are delivered cannot be guaranteed to be 100% secure, and we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you provide to us. We do not accept liability for unintentional disclosure. " What's the worst that could happen. Well, we worry that your very sensitive eating disorder information could wind up in the hands of someone you really don't want to have that information and that doesn't sound healthy at all. Hopefully that will never happen.