>> >>PEGGY PICO: THE CONSUMER PROTECTION GROUP STUDIED 43 POPULAR FREE AND PURCHASED HEALTH
AND FITNESS APPS FROM BOTH A CONSUMER AND TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE.
THEIR KEY FINDINGS CONSIDERABLE PRIVACY RISKS.
PRC DIRECTOR BETH GIVENS.
TELL US ABOUT THE SAMPLING OF THE APPS YOUR TEAM LOOKED AT.
>> >>BETH GIVENS: THIS WAS A RELATIVELY NARROW STUDY.
WE CHOSE THE KINDS OF APPS PEOPLE CHOOSE FOR THEMSELVES, VERY POPULAR APPS AVAILABLE FROM
THE TWO ONLINE STORES.
WEIGHT LOSS, BIG AREA, BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORING FOR PEOPLE MONITORING FOR DIABETES, SMOKING,
PREGNANCY TRACKING, LET ME THINK� THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: SOME PRETTY POPULAR ONES AND RUNNING ONES THAT TRACK YOUR MILES.
>> >>BETH GIVENS: EXERCISE AND FITNESS, YEAH.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: I NOTICED IN THE STUDY IT DIDN'T INCLUDE AN ESTIMATED 40,000 HOSPITAL
OR DOCTORBASED APPLICATIONS.
HOW COME?
>> >>BETH GIVENS: THERE IS A CATEGORY OF APPS WHICH YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH A DOCTOR
OR A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND THEY'RE GETTING INFORMATION FROM YOU.
THOSE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE COVERED BY HIPA, THE FEDERAL PRIVACY AND CALIFORNIA'S PRIVACY
LAW.
WE DECIDED TO STICK TO THE APPS PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING FROM THE MARKET PLACE.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: WE'RE INTENTIONALLY NOT NAMING SPECIFIC APPS BECAUSE YOUR FINDINGS ARE ABOUT
THIS DISTURBING TREND AS OPPOSED TO SPECIFIC APPS BEING GOOD OR BAD.
WHAT MADE THE HEALTH AND FITNESS APPS YOU LOOKED AT, IN THIS STUDY, WHAT MADE THEM A
PRIVACY RISK?
>> >>BETH GIVENS: MOST PEOPLE CONSIDER THEIR MEDICAL INFORMATION, HEALTH INFORMATION TO
BE VERY SENSITIVE, PROBABLY THE MOST SENSITIVE TYPE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR MOST PEOPLE,
PROBABLY THE NEXT SECOND AREA WOULD BE FINANCIAL.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE CONSIDER INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR HEALTH IS HIGHLY SENSITIVE.
THAT'S WHAT WE THOUGHT WE SHOULD LOOK AT THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
WE HAD A HUNCH THERE MIGHT BE SOME QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES GO ONG.
NOT NECESSARILY MALICIOUSLY, BUT FROM THE.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: DO TELL US ABOUT THE BIG ONE, THE THIRD PARTY.
>> >>BETH GIVENS: YES.
WELL, A COUPLE OF BIG ONES, A KEY FINDING IS THAT VERY SENSITIVE MEDICAL INFORMATION,
PERSONAL INFORMATION, IS SENT ACROSS THE NETWORK UNENCRYPTED.
AND THEN SECONDLY� >> >>PEGGY PICO: THE THIRD PARTY, RIGHT?
>> >>BETH GIVENS: THE HUGE NUMBER OF THIRD PARTIES THAT ARE RECEIVING INFORMATION FROM
THESE APPS AND IT'S NOT DISCLOSED IN A SPECIFIC WAY IN THE PRIVACY POLICY, SOMETIMES NOT DISCLOSED
AT ALL.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THIRD PARTIES THAT DO GET THIS INFORMATION.
YOU SHOULD ASSUME THAT.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: WE'RE TALKING THIRD PARTIES LIKE ADVERTISERS OR HEALTH INSURANCE AGENTS?
>> >>BETH GIVENS: NOT HEALTH INSURANCE.
WE COULDN'T SEE THAT.
ITS ADVERTISERS, ADVERTISING NETWORKS AND THE ANALYTICS COMPANIES.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: DID YOU FIND A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FREE APPS OR PURCHASED APPS AS FAR
AS WHICH ONES TEND TO BE A LITTLE LOOSER WITH YOUR PRIVACY INFORMATION?
>> >>BETH GIVENS: FREE APPS.
THEIR BUSINESS MODEL IS TO MAKE MONEY, TO GET INCOME FROM THE SELLING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
SO THE ADVERTISERS G COULD FEEDBACK ADS.
THE PAID APPS, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE BUSINESS MODEL OF NEEDING TO SHARE YOUR INFORMATION
TO MAKE MONEY.
SO THERE ARE SOME PRIVACY PROBLEMS WITH THE PAID APPS, BUT THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF PRIVACY
ADVANTAGE GOING WITH PAID.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: YOU HAVE SOME TIPS TO BASICALLY HELP PROTECT YOURSELF IF YOU WANT TO USE THESE
APPS, WHICH YOU'RE SAYING GO AHEAD.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TOP TIPS YOU FOUND.
>> >>BETH GIVENS: SURE.
FIRST, DO SOME RESEARCH ON THE APP.
IT MAY NOT BE EASY, BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS PICK THE NAME OF THE APP, PUT IT INTO YOUR FAVORITE
SEARCH ENGINE AND ADD THE WORD COMPLAINT, OR ADD THE WORD REVIEW.
THAT WAY YOU CAN READ BOTH THE REVIEWS, AND IF THERE ARE COMPLAINTS, COMPLAINTS.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: WE TALKED ABOUT THE FREE VERSUS PAID.
>> >>BETH GIVENS: ASSUME THE APPS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED.
WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY USING THE APP, FIRST SIGNING UP, WATCH YOURSELF.
WHAT INFORMATION ARE YOU BEING ASKED TO PUT IN?
IS THAT INFORMATION� DO YOU HAVE CHOICES?
IF YOU HAVE A CHOICE TO MINIMIZE THAT PERSONAL INFORMATION, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKES, TAKE ADVANTAGE
AND DON'T GIVE OUT MOAFER INFORMATION THAN IS NEEDED.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: IF POSSIBLE LIMIT THE INFORMATION.
AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THE APP.
>> >>BETH GIVENS: DELETE IT.
IF YOU CAN GO TO THE APP DEVELOPER AND SEE IF YOU CAN DELETE THE PROFILE ON THEIR END.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: SO SOME EXCELLENT TIPS.
I WANT TO LET FOLKS KNOW THEY CAN SEE THE ENTIRE REPORT YOU DID, THE ENTIRE CLEARING
HOUSE STUDY AT KPBS.ORG.
BETH GIVENS, THANKS SO MUCH.
>> >>BETH GIVENS: THANK YOU.