Université d'Ottawa

Purpose

This research project aims to analyze the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in the context of FemTech (female technology) mobile applications dedicated to wellness and the body, such as applications for tracking menstruation (Flo Health, Clue, Eve, Natural Cycle, etc.), pregnancy (e.g., Flutter Care) or breastfeeding (LactApp, Mylee, etc.). It will focus on Canadian women of childbearing age, particularly the youngest among these women, including minors, and aims to shed light on the negative impacts on their privacy. These applications, most of which are from U.S. companies, encourage women to provide a significant amount of sensitive and intimate data on their health. However, these companies’ general conditions of use and privacy policies are often vague when it comes to the measures being taken to protect personal information and comply with PIPEDA. This project will improve protection of the intimate personal information shared by women who use these applications. It will lead to recommendations to the legislator with a view to reforming PIPEDA. Education and awareness raising initiatives specifically targeting young women will also be launched to raise awareness of their rights and the risks associated with FemTech applications to help these women better protect their personal data in a digital environment. Lastly, this research will fill a major knowledge gap, as while the extensive collection of personal information by FemTech applications has been criticized, there have been no systematic studies of the situation for women in Canada.