Warning: *Privacy Not Included with this product
Sprout Pregnancy
When we select which apps to review for a guide like this, something we look for are apps that are highly recommended by consumer publications. The Sprout Pregnancy app was recommended in 2022 by both Cosmopolitan and Forbes. Based on these positive reviews and the fact that the app has over one million downloads in the Google Play store, we included this app in our list to research. Which is why we were quite surprised that we weren't able to find a privacy policy at all for the Sprout Pregnancy app. On top of that, the company that makes the app never responded to our multiple emails trying to get answers to our privacy questions. This is all very bad for an app that lets you build a "personalized pregnancy timeline" and collects information like weight, doctor appointments, birth plan, and a pregnancy journal. A pregnancy app that collects so much very personal information should take privacy quite seriously. The fact the Sprout Pregnancy app doesn't have a privacy policy indicates to us it does not.
What could happen if something goes wrong?
Well, this isn't good. It's terrible in fact. It seems the Sprout Pregnancy app doesn't have a privacy policy. Yup, an app that potentially collects lots of personal information about you, your body, and your life doesn't care enough about your privacy to have a privacy policy. All we were able to find for the Sprout Pregnancy app was a Terms of Service doc last updated in September, 2013 that had a very brief section called "Use of Collected Data" that didn't really contain much useful information. This is an automatic *Privacy Not Included for us. Please do not use this app. Please never use an app that doesn't have a privacy policy.
Weirdly, of the other apps Sprout makes — Spout Fertility & Period Tracker, Sprout Baby, and Sprout Care — Sprout Pregnancy is the only app of theirs that doesn't have a privacy policy. The others do, even if they haven't been updated recently. What's up with Sprout Pregnancy? We're just not sure. So again, please don't use this app. We can't even tell what could go wrong because we have no idea what data they collect and how they use it. Bad, bad, BAD!
Tips to protect yourself
- Never use an app without a privacy policy.
- Use your device privacy controls to limit access to your personal information via app (do not give access to your camera, microphone, images and videos)
- Keep your app regularly updated
- Limit ad tracking via your device (eg on iPhone go to Privacy -> Advertising -> Limit ad tracking) and biggest ad networks (for Google, go to Google account and turn off ad personalization)
Can it snoop on me?
Camera
Device: N/A
App: No
Microphone
Device: N/A
App: No
Tracks location
Device: N/A
App: No
What can be used to sign up?
N/A
Phone
N/A
Third-party account
N/A
No log-in available
What data does the company collect?
Personal
Unknown, as there is no Privacy Policy that we could find.
Body related
Social
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?
User-friendly privacy information?
The Sprout Pregnancy app does not have a privacy policy that we could find. The Sprout Fertility & Period Tracking app, Sprout Baby app, and Sprout Care apps all appear to have some sort of privacy policy. but not the Sprout Pregnancy app.
Links to privacy information
Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?
Encryption
Strong password
Security updates
Manages vulnerabilities
Privacy policy
We could find no privacy policy for the Sprout Pregnancy app, only a terms of service page last updated September 1, 2013.
Does the product use AI?
Is this AI untrustworthy?
What kind of decisions does the AI make about you or for you?
Is the company transparent about how the AI works?
Does the user have control over the AI features?
Dive Deeper
-
The 12 Best Pregnancy Tracker Apps Of 2021, According To An Ob-GynWomen's Health
-
Best Pregnancy Apps for 2022Forbes Health
Comments
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