Mozilla Finds Stardust Shared 6 Types of Health Data With RudderStack
Updated
Updated · Yahoo · Jul 16
Mozilla Finds Stardust Shared 6 Types of Health Data With RudderStack
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo · Jul 16
Summary
Mozilla’s latest app-traffic analysis found Stardust sent sensitive user health details to analytics firm RudderStack, including birthdate, birth control type, reproductive goals and symptoms.
Six period trackers were tested, and Stardust was the only one Mozilla saw sharing sensitive health data with another company; Mozilla called Euki “squeaky clean” because core health data stayed on users’ devices.
Stardust tied those records to a unique identifier rather than a name, but the FTC has warned such identifiers do not make data anonymous or prevent it from being linked back to a person.
The finding revives scrutiny from 2022, when TechCrunch reported Stardust’s end-to-end encryption claim was false after Roe v. Wade was overturned and period-tracking privacy risks drew sharper attention.
Both Stardust and RudderStack are U.S.-based, meaning health data stored on their servers could still be sought by law enforcement; Stardust did not answer questions on whether it has received such demands.
With new US privacy laws on the table, will your sensitive health data finally be safe from third-party sharing?
Are 'free' health apps fundamentally unsafe, forcing users to trade critical privacy for basic digital tools?
How is your health data combined with car and location data to create a detailed surveillance profile for sale?
Reproductive Health App Privacy in the Post-Roe Era: Legal Gaps, Data Risks, and the Case for User Control
Overview
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, privacy concerns around reproductive health apps quickly intensified. The leaked draft of the ruling in May had already drawn public attention to the sensitive data collected by period and pregnancy tracking apps. As the legal landscape changed, this information became a potential liability, especially in states with abortion restrictions. People realized their personal health data could be used in legal cases, sparking a wave of privacy advocacy and user response. This shift highlighted the urgent need for stronger protections and greater awareness about digital health privacy.