Mental health applications share data without proper disclosure

A handful of these applications (which dealt with issues such as depression and smoking cessation) shared particularly sensitive data, such as health journals and voluntary reports on substance use. As Qunn Grundy from the University of Toronto said (not involved in the study) The edgethis information could give the stranger an image of your mental health that you may not want to share. You could see advertisements for health consultations or even addictive substances.

The immediate solution is a familiar solution: check that an application has a privacy policy and check where your data goes before using it seriously. Co-author of the study, John Torous, also suggested sticking to applications from more reliable sources, such as health care providers and the government. In the long run, however, there may be a need for stricter requirements to ensure that your medical information is only sent where it is needed.