
Warning: *privacy not included with this product
Sanity & Self is a wellness app targeted at women and teen girls that calls itself "your self-care sidekick." Sure thing, we all need a sidekick! The app offers guided audio sessions on topics such as confidence, self-love, breakups, anxiety and stress. Free to download, users will pay around $60 for an annual subscription to unlock all 900+ audio sessions. The app also offers things like texting and 1:1 chats with experts to help deal with life's stresses and a community page where users can share their daily thoughts and feelings.
Moov, the company behind the app, is best known for their wearable fitness trackers. How's the privacy of your self-care sidekick? Well, as far as we can tell, it's a bit worrisome. The Moov privacy policy, which seems to cover their website, their fitness wearables, and this Sanity & Self app, is pretty vague about what they do with all the personal information this app is able to collect. And Consumer Reports found the app sends data to Facebook (as most apps do when you sign in with your Facebook login, which is why we recommend never doing that!). We certainly have some concerns about this app's privacy practices. We also have a question as to why our self-care sidekick needs access to the flashlight on our phone when we download the app? That just seems...weird.
What could happen if something goes wrong?
Sigh. Another mental health app with a vaguely worded privacy policy that leaves us with more questions than answers about what personal information they may be sharing with whom and for what purposes. Moov, the makers of Sanity & Self, are a fitness wearable company. Their privacy policy seems to cover everything from their website, their fitness wearables, and this mental health app.
The app's privacy policy says they can collect a whole bunch of personal information including name, contact information, location, reason for seeking a virtual coach, your occupation, information about your family, your exercise habits, your feelings, concerns and priorities, information about your relationships, and any other information you provide. And by providing that information, you are consenting to it being used by the company for things that aren't exactly made clear in their privacy policy. We assume that could include targeted advertising and marketing, but it could also include more. Moov's privacy policy does say they aren't in the business of selling your personal information, so that is good at least.
What's the worst that could happen? Well, they do collect a whole lot of personal information, including precise location information and they might share that and other personal information with who knows who for who knows why, we simply couldn't tell And we couldn't confirm they meet our Minimum Security Standards, so that information may or may not be secure. We're all for self-care here at *Privacy Not Included. We'd just hate for the world to know you listen to self-love audio sessions on repeat all day long while chatting with an expert about how you're feeling after downing that entire pint of ice cream (we've been there world, we've been there).
Tips to protect yourself
- Opt out from receiving marketing notifications.
- Don't provide data about others (your relationships etc.) without their permission.
- Chose a strong password.
Can it snoop on me?
Camera
Device: N/A
App: Yes
Microphone
Device: N/A
App: Yes
Tracks location
Device: N/A
App: Yes
What can be used to sign up?
Yes
Phone
Can’t Determine
Third-party account
Can’t Determine
What data does the company collect?
Personal
Name, contact information, location (GPS)
Body related
Social
Information about your family, information about your relationships
How does the company use this data?
How can you control your data?
What is the company’s known track record of protecting users’ data?
No known privacy or security incidents discovered in the last 3 years.
Child Privacy Information
Can this product be used offline?
Premium subscribers can download sessions to your phone while online, and then listen to them while offline.
User-friendly privacy information?
Links to privacy information
Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?
Encryption
Strong password
Security updates
Manages vulnerabilities
Privacy policy
Dive Deeper
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Peace of Mind...Evaluating the Privacy Practices of Mental Health AppsConsumer Reports
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The Digital Standard Case Study: Mental Health AppsThe Digital Standard
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Mental Health Apps Aren't All As Private As You May ThinkConsumer Reports
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Moov gets into mindfulness with launch of ‘Sanity & Self’ app for womenTechCrunch
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This New App Makes Self-Care Quick & Easy When You Don’t Have Time For A Face MaskElite Daily
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Self-care apps want to make us happy. So why do they make us feel so bleak?Mashable
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