Flo (app)

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Flo
Developer(s)Flo Health, Inc.
Initial release2015
Operating systemiOS
Android
Available in22 languages
Websiteflo.health

Flo is a health app that provides cycle and ovulation tracking, health insights, expert tips, and a fully closed community to share questions and concerns.[1]

The application is available on iOS and Android.[2] Flo has over 350 million downloads worldwide and 60 million monthly active users as of February 2024.[3]

Company history[edit]

Flo was co-founded in 2015 by Dmitry and Yuri Gurski, in Belarus.[4] Dmitry serves as the company's CEO.[5]

In 2016, the company raised $1 million in seed round funding from Flint Capital and Haxus Venture Fund.[6]

In 2017, Flo received an investment of $5 million from Flint Capital and model Natalia Vodianova.[4] Vodianova also helped develop Flo's "Let’s Talk About it. Period" worldwide awareness campaign.[7] In December of that year, Flo began working with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to spread awareness about women's reproductive and sexual health issues.[8] Also in 2017, Flo launched a question and answer service within the app.[4]

In 2018, Flo received an investment of $6 million from Mangrove Capital Partners, with participation from Flint Capital and Haxus, giving the company a valuation of $200 million.[9]

In mid-2019, Flo received an additional investment of $7.5 million. Founders Fund was one of the main investors in the round.[10] In September 2019, Privacy International published a report regarding data sharing for a number of period-tracking apps.[11] Following a number of data-sharing controversies in the industry, Flo and four other apps implemented measures to protect user's data from third parties.[12]

In early September 2021, Flo announced it closed $50M in a Series B financing, bringing the total capital raised to $65 million and company valuation to $800M.[13] VNV Global and Target Global both led the round.[14]

Application and community[edit]

Flo was initially created as a period and ovulation tracking application, but later, it developed into a health partner for women. The application covers all phases of the reproductive cycle, from menstruation to preparations for conception, pregnancy, early motherhood, perimenopause and menopause.[1]

Flo provides reminders of upcoming menstrual cycles and a place to record various other health symptoms such as contraceptive methods, vaginal discharge, water intake, pains, mood swings, and sexual activity.[1]

A community section was added in 2017, which allows users to anonymously answer and ask questions on health issues. In 2023, Flo launched Symptom Checker in the United States, a digital tool developed by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, scientists, and engineers. It focuses on helping women by encouraging awareness and understanding of their symptoms and filtering this information to present at appropriate times. It covers several reproductive health conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Flo’s Symptom Checker is not a diagnostic tool, it does not provide medical advice, and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.[15]

Content on the app is reviewed by a board of medical professionals, on behalf of Flo Health. The board advises the developers on medical-related issues, with advisors consisting of medical experts such as professional GB/GYN's and MDs. The purpose of the board is to ensure that Flo Health’s content is accurate and based on scientific evidence.[16] The app also aims to increase awareness of conditions that can often be confused for period symptoms, such as Heavy Menstrual Bleeding and PCOS.[16][17]

Culture and menstruation[edit]

Flo Health has invested in researching taboos and cultural differences for women. In 2019, Flo announced they had completed a survey of 200,000 women globally, as a wider study into period poverty. The study found a number of common problems, such as 34% of those surveyed believing that period poverty is only an issue in developing countries.[18]

Flo collaborated with the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) sexual and reproductive health agency in a project to assist women with disabilities. As a UNFPA partner, Flo took part in the Nairobi Summit for International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and committed to advancing women's reproductive health.[19][non-primary source needed] Similar partnerships were agreed with European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG) to develop educational materials and also contribute to awareness about women's health.[20]

In 2022, Flo Health announced that the company would give Flo Premium to women across 22 countries — including Ethiopia, Haiti, and Nepal — providing access to detailed cycle and symptom patterns records and unlimited access to expert content and its virtual chatbot. In December 2023, Flo announced that it is expanding its Pass it On Project to an additional 44 countries. The Pass it On Project is a give-back program aiming to help women living in countries where access to safe and credible health information is limited. As of December 2023, over 10 million women worldwide use Flo Premium for free.[21][22][23]

In 2023, a study by Flo Health’s science team was published in the Nature Portfolio Journal: Mental Health Research, delving into the effects of acute stress on pain perception among females during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Acute stress, linked to decreased pain sensitivity— known as 'stress-induced analgesia' (SIA)—has traditionally been studied in laboratory settings. This research is the first to unravel the complexities of SIA in the real world, offering invaluable insights into the health and well-being of women using Flo.[24][25]

Privacy & Security[edit]

In February 2019, it was alleged in reports that Flo had been sending users' health data to Facebook[26] without users' informed consent,[27] and in violation of Facebook's developer policies.[28]

In response to the allegations of private data misuse, a complaint was filed against Flo Health, Inc by the FTC.[29]

Flo responded that it never sold any data point to Facebook as well as never used data from Facebook Analytics for advertisements. Flo nevertheless deleted Facebook SDK from app, filed the request to delete all user data from Facebook Analytics and released an app update.[28][30]

The FTC complaint ultimately led to Flo and the FTC reaching a settlement.[31] This resolution was reached not as an admission of wrongdoing on Flo's part but as a means to avoid prolonged legal proceedings and associated costs, thereby enabling closure on the matter. The agreement obliged Flo to undertake an independent privacy audit. In March 2022, Flo successfully completed it. Independent auditors did not identify any material gaps or weaknesses in Flo’s privacy practices and found that Flo’s own practices were consistent with its publicly stated Privacy Policy.[28][30]

Since then, Flo has reinforced its privacy and security measures and underwent further third-party independent audits. It obtained international standards in privacy and security, including security ISO 27001 and Privacy ISO 27701 certifications. Flo was independently tested against various security and privacy controls in the ISO framework. In 2023, Flo Health established a Privacy and Security Advisory Board comprised of experts across various fields focused on privacy and security practices, particularly in the femtech industry.[29][31][32]

Anonymous Mode[edit]

In September, 2022, as a response to Roe v. Wade being overturned, Flo sped up the release of a feature called “Anonymous Mode”. This mode allows users to access the app without any personal identifiers such as name, email address, and technical identifiers from being associated with their health data, making Flo the first female health app to take this level of precaution in terms of privacy and security.[33][34]

Flo has partnered with Cloudflare, the same company that Apple worked with for the iCloud Private Relay, to integrate an Oblivious HTTP system, App Relay Gateway, which ensures that no single party processing user data for Anonymous Mode accounts has complete information on both who the user is and what they are trying to access.[35][36]

The feature has received positive feedback and was praised by Andrew Crawford, Senior Policy Counsel at the Center for Democracy & Technology.[37]

In 2023, Flo Health open-sourced the technology behind its Anonymous Mode feature. The company also added post-quantum cryptography, safeguarding sensitive health information from potential security risks posed by quantum computers.

Recognition[edit]

Flo’s Anonymous Mode feature was recognized on both Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas 2023[38] and TIME’s Best Inventions List 2023.[39]

Flo’s Anonymous Mode won International Association of Privacy Professionals’ (“IAPP”) Legal Innovation Awards 2022.[32]

Flo is a CES 2019 Innovation Awards Honouree in the Software and Mobile Applications category.[40]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "In-Depth: Digital health innovation in fertility and women's health – not so niche anymore". MobiHealthNews. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  2. ^ "Flo takes aim at women's health in $5M Series A round". MobiHealthNews. 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  3. ^ Iovine, Anna (2024-04-16). "Women's health app launches massive survey on female orgasms". Mashable. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  4. ^ a b c "Flo raises $5 million for its AI-powered period-tracking app". VentureBeat. 2017-08-11. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  5. ^ "Two Belarusian startups named CES 2019 Innovation Awards honorees". euroradio.fm. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  6. ^ "Funding Snapshot: Flo App Raises $1 Million Seed for Period Calculator". Wall Street Journal. 2016-12-15. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  7. ^ "Natalia Vodianova's New Video Series Tackles Every Single Period Taboo". InStyle.com. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  8. ^ "UNFPA partners with Flo app to bring reproductive health information to millions of users". www.unfpa.org. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  9. ^ "AI-powered women's health platform lands $12M in Series A extension round". MobiHealthNews. 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  10. ^ Кинякина, Екатерина (8 November 2019). "Как братья-близнецы создали "женский календарь" стоимостью $230 млн". Forbes.
  11. ^ "No Body's Business But Mine: How Menstruation Apps Are Sharing Your Data". Privacy International. September 9, 2019.
  12. ^ Brown, Shelby. "These menstrual tracking apps reportedly shared sensitive data with Facebook". CNET.
  13. ^ "Flo Health is used by millions of women to track their periods. Here's the 27-slide pitch deck it used to raise $50 million at an $800 million valuation". Business Insider. September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  14. ^ "Flo Announces $50 Million Series B Funding Round; Bringing Company to $800M Valuation". Yahoo Finance. 2021-09-09. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  15. ^ "How Flo is making a difference". Health Foundation.
  16. ^ a b Bissell, Jordan (July 11, 2019). "s It My Period Or A Health Issue? 6 Problems That May Not Be Because Of Your Cycle". Bustle.
  17. ^ "13 Things To Ask Your Doctor About Your Birth Control". Bustle. August 7, 2019.
  18. ^ Thorpe, JR (18 October 2019). "Period Poverty in the US show its a complicated issue". Bustle.
  19. ^ "Kate Romanovskaia speaker & commitments". Nairobi summit. 21 October 2019.
  20. ^ "EBCOG and Flo Health Inc., the developer of Flo, an AI-powered women's health app, sign Collaboration". European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
  21. ^ Buchholz, Lucy (2022-10-31). "Flo launches initiative to improve menstrual health literacy". march8.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  22. ^ "Flo Premium free for 1 billion women worldwide". Flo Premium free for 1 billion women worldwide. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  23. ^ Mihaila, Sorina (2022-10-26). "Flo launches initiative to improve menstrual and reproductive health literacy - FemTech World". Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  24. ^ Kazlou, Aliaksandr; Bornukova, Kateryna; Wickham, Aidan; Slaykovskiy, Vladimir; Peven, Kimberly; Klepchukova, Anna; Ponzo, Sonia; Garfinkel, Sarah (2024-01-10). "Effects of stress on pain in females using a mobile health app in the Russia-Ukraine conflict". npj Mental Health Research. 3 (1): 1–9. doi:10.1038/s44184-023-00043-w. ISSN 2731-4251.
  25. ^ Folkendt, Kathrin. "New Nature Study by Flo Health Reveals How Acute Stress Affects Women's Pain Perception Amidst Russia-Ukraine War". Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  26. ^ Schechner, Sam; Secada, Mark (22 February 2019). "You Give Apps Sensitive Personal Information. Then They Tell Facebook". Wall Street Journal – via www.wsj.com.
  27. ^ "Facebook reportedly received users' sensitive health data from apps: "It's incredibly dishonest"". www.cbsnews.com. 22 February 2019.
  28. ^ a b c Bell, Karissa (22 February 2019). "Period tracking app says it will stop sharing health data with Facebook". Mashable.
  29. ^ a b "Flo Health, Inc". Federal Trade Commission. 2020-10-15. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  30. ^ a b Schechner, Sam (25 February 2019). "Eleven Popular Apps That Shared Data With Facebook". Wall Street Journal – via www.wsj.com.
  31. ^ a b Schiffer, Zoe (2021-01-13). "Period tracking app settles charges it lied to users about privacy". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  32. ^ a b "IAPP". iapp.org. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  33. ^ Malik, Aisha (2022-09-14). "Period tracking app Flo rolls out 'Anonymous Mode' on iOS, Android launch coming next month". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  34. ^ Faife, Corin (2022-09-14). "Flo period tracker launches "Anonymous Mode" to fight abortion privacy concerns". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  35. ^ "Period tracker app Flo launches 'Anonymous Mode' for iOS devices". Engadget. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  36. ^ "Period tracker Flo launches anonymous mode amid post-Roe privacy concerns". Healthcare Dive. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  37. ^ Ali, Shirin (2022-09-15). "Reproductive health apps strengthened privacy, but serious risks remain". The Hill. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  38. ^ Zara, Christopher (February 5, 2023). "13 impressive projects that were developed to address a crisis". Fast Company.
  39. ^ "Flo Anonymous Mode: The 200 Best Inventions of 2023". Time. 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  40. ^ "Innovation Awards Honorees".

External links[edit]

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