🔒 Privacy in Mental Health Apps: Audit of Calm, Headspace, BetterHelp & Alternatives
Mental health apps collect highly sensitive data: mood logs, journal entries, therapy transcripts, and voice recordings. Some sell this data to advertisers or share with third parties. This guide audits popular apps and recommends secure alternatives.
App Privacy Audit Results
Calm (meditation): Collects email, usage data, and optionally mood logs. Data shared with analytics partners (Mixpanel, Adjust). Privacy rating: C- (caution)
Headspace: Similar data collection to Calm. Shares data with Facebook, Google Analytics, and Amplitude. Privacy rating: C-
BetterHelp (therapy): Collects therapy transcripts, intake forms, and communication logs. Has history of data sharing. Privacy rating: F (avoid)
Moodpath (depression tracking): German-based with GDPR compliance. Does not sell data. Privacy rating: B
Woebot (AI therapy chatbot): Encrypts conversations. No data sharing. Privacy rating: A-
Medito (free meditation): Open source, no tracking, no account required. Privacy rating: A+ (recommended)
How to Protect Your Mental Health Data
- Use open source apps when possible: Medito, MoodMonster, or Mynd
- Journal using encrypted notes: Standard Notes (open source) or Joplin
- Read privacy policies before signing up (search for "sell", "share", "third party")
- Use a burner email address for any mental health app
- Request data deletion after stopping use (under GDPR/CCPA)
Open Source Alternatives
- Medito: Full-featured meditation app (iOS/Android/Web). No account required for guided meditations.
- Standard Notes: Encrypted journaling with mental health templates.
- Offline CBT worksheets: Download PDF workbooks from Center for Clinical Interventions (free, no data collection).