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Very Concerned About The Ovia App

7 replies

SixDot941 · 11/04/2019 21:06

I read today that Ovia are getting data from women paid by the employer and in return the company gets to see how "happy" their female staff are (read happy as productive and efficient) over each month. Giving an overview of the "menstrual temperature" of the office.

This data will serve to prove that women's menstrual cycles affect our ability to work at peak performance. This data could lead to oppressive behaviour towards women in the workplace if it is used for ill.

The company has a clause which says how they use the data now but also that they can change that without notifying you directly. This means they can begin to let the data be used unethically and they don't have to tell you. Just like Facebook did.

I tried to complain to them but despite claiming to be a medical firm they have none of the information required by British Law for medical companies to make readily accessible. This indicates they are a tech company misleading us that they are something else.

I have sent an email to their customer services bringing these issues to their intention but whatever is said back I will be contacting relevant authorities as this company could do a lot of damage from the data they already have from women they may have lied to about their eventual aim.

Whatever they are doing it is not at all transparent and they do not have a legal complaints process. Medical research must be transparent to be ethical.

OP posts:
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Bankofenglandfiver · 11/04/2019 21:07

You should ask this in legal.

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SixDot941 · 11/04/2019 21:19

Thanks. I will.

OP posts:
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PetuniaPetunia · 11/04/2019 21:22

Do you really need this app?

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BikeRunSki · 11/04/2019 21:23

Don’t use the app

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hellenbackagen · 11/04/2019 21:39

I use this app. This is a worry. What else is there ?

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PetuniaPetunia · 12/04/2019 06:39

helen what does the app do apart from charting your temperature? You can easily do that yourself with pen and paper!

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PigeonofDoom · 12/04/2019 06:56

It sounds like there are two separate issues here:
Is this app actually a medical device? Does it claim to enhance fertility, or act as contraception versus it says it can help you chart monthly changes? If it’s the latter then it’s likely not a device and so is not ‘medical’. The MHRA have guidance on this.

The second issue is whether this company are using data from their staff without the appropriate consent (and also whether it’s legal to enforce this only on female employees!). Is the company in the UK? Then this does sound like it doesn’t comply with the GDPR and falls under the remit of the ICO. I’m not sure if you can raise a complaint if it’s not your data, but you could probably ask them. If the company is based outside of Europe then the DP laws may well be different. If it’s based in the states then I wouldn’t use it tbh- they have slacker DP laws and I wouldn’t want them to have my personal data! Once your data goes out of the EU, GDPR no longer applies.

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