What reproductive health categories do data brokers use

Documented data broker categories related to reproductive health include: 'Expectant Parent,' 'New Parent,' 'Fertility,' 'Women's Health Interest,' 'Prenatal Vitamin Purchaser,' 'Baby Product Shopper,' and similar segments. These categories are used for targeted advertising and are inferred from behavioral signals, not from medical records.

Can data brokers sell reproductive health data after Dobbs

There is no federal law specifically prohibiting the sale of reproductive health-adjacent data by data brokers. Some states have enacted or proposed restrictions. The FTC has taken enforcement actions related to the sale of sensitive location data near reproductive health clinics. The legal situation is evolving and varies by state.

Does opting out of data brokers actually work

Opt-out requests are legally binding in states with privacy laws that cover data brokers. However, brokers continuously acquire new data, so your profile can be recreated after you opt out. Effective opt-out requires both removing existing data and reducing the signals that feed new data collection — using privacy-preserving apps, disabling advertising identifiers, and limiting the data you generate.

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Check If Data Brokers Have Your Reproductive Health Data

Data brokers buy and sell health-adjacent data categories that can include period and fertility information. Here's how to check your exposure and opt out.

How Reproductive Health Data Reaches Data Brokers Data brokers do not hack your period tracker. They do not need to. The data flows to them through legitimate (if opaque) business relationships. Advertising SDKs in period tracker apps. When a period tracker includes Facebook's SDK, Google's Firebase, or other advertising tools, those SDKs transmit usage data — app opens, screen views, feature usage — to the advertising network. The advertising network feeds this data into its user profile for your advertising identifier. Data brokers purchase or license segments from these advertising networks. Purchase history. Buying prenatal vitamins, pregnancy tests, or fertility supplements through retailers that share purchase data with brokers creates a record. Your credit card and loyalty card purchases build a behavioral profile that brokers categorize. Web browsing. Visiting fertility clinic websites, reading articles about pregnancy symptoms, or searching for OBGYN offices — this browsing behavior is tracked by advertising cookies and sold to data aggregators. App install signals. The mere installation of a period tracker app can be detected by advertising networks through device level s