Beware Of Security & Data Breach On Mental Wellness Apps

‘Better safety needed for well-being apps’

- Anukriti Sharma

In October 2020, a web-based counseling service provider in Finland, Vastaamo reported a security flaw in the company’s IT systems that exposed its entire patient database to the open internet – not just email addresses and social security numbers, but the actual written notes that therapists had taken. A group of hackers had gotten hold of the data and demanded 200 euros(approx `16000) in bitcoin to stop the discussions with therapists from being made public.

The case raised concerns about the data security of patients who use mental wellness apps to receive care in the privacy of their own homes. Infact, digital therapy witnessed a stark increase in consumption during the pandemic, when many struggled with depleting mental health. According to a report by Sensor Tower, a marketing intelligence company, mental health and wellness apps generated two million more downloads in April 2020 than January 2020. However, while seeking help for mental health issues comes with a strict clause of patient-doctor confidentiality, a research by Mozilla found that mental health apps have worse privacy protection for users than most other apps. The research described them as “data-sucking devices with a mental health app veneer.” To put it another way, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. So, if there is a possibility of data breach, how safe are these apps, despite their popularity?

MENTAL HEALTH APPS CURRENTLY DO NOT FALL UNDER ANY MEDICAL BOARD AND ARE NOT VETTED BY ANY REGULATORY BODY. THIS LACK OF REGULARISATION CAN BE HARMFUL

— Omkar Ambekar, chief data officer at a multinational firm