Many common health apps are sharing potentially sensitive medical data with third parties, study finds

By now, anyone connected to the internet is familiar with the concept that their data -- whether through social media, search engines, or other apps and interfaces -- is far from private. According to a recent study, the same holds true for what is considered to be among peoples' most sensitive personal information: medical history. The report, released in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) says that the medical information from personal health apps is routinely shared with third parties in a process that is both unregulated and often lacking in transparency. According to the study, the ubiquity of data sharing among the health apps is also a of major concern for patients and physicians. Of the 24 apps studied, 19 of them, or 79 percent, engaged in data sharing practices. These include some of the most popular medical apps for Android in the U.S., U.K. and Australia like Medscape, Ada, and MedicineWise.