'We can't share your data, because we don't have it': How Anna Hall's Embody app is building the future of menstrual tracking
A founder's bold promise to protect privacy in women's health
The intersection of women’s health, technology, and privacy has never been more urgent. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, concerns about how menstrual health data is collected, stored, and potentially misused have come to the forefront. And with an upcoming change in Presidency, those concerns show no signs of abating.
Founder Anna Hall is addressing this issue head-on with a cycle tracking app, Embody, specifically designed to prioritise user privacy without compromising functionality.
In this article we chat to Anna to learn more about why Embody is taking a different approach to menstrual tracking and how it places privacy at the heart of that.
A personal mission turned solution
At 31-years-old Anna Hall was diagnosed with PMDD--Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.
“It was something I'd never heard of before,” Anna recounts. “Imagine Major Depressive Disorder kicking in one week out of every month for years. I became obsessed with tracking my cycle and learning ways to ease my severe (life-altering) symptoms.”
Anna became what she describes as a "power user" of period-tracking apps. However, the landscape shifted dramatically with the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the subsequent warnings from security experts to delete menstrual tracking data online. For Hall, who lives in Georgia, a state with some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, the risk of menstrual surveillance became a pressing concern.
“I knew there had to be a better way. We deserve safe, sophisticated tools beyond pen and paper,” she explains.
This realization sparked the idea for Embody, an app designed to give its users full ownership and control of their most personal health data.
Private by default
Unlike traditional period trackers that collect and store user data in the cloud, Embody uses a local data storage model and personal data is stored locally on users’ phones instead. This ensures that no one—neither Embody nor third parties—can access a user’s information without their explicit consent.
"Most apps collect data from users from the get-go, which as we’ve seen, leads to data being shared, sold, misused and even subpoenaed by law enforcement in the case of a suspected abortion,” says Anna.
“Embody cannot share your data with anyone, because we simply don’t have it."
This approach resonates with users. Embody’s own initial survey of 7,000 mothers in metro Atlanta echoed findings from a Duke University study earlier in 2024: nearly 60% of women expressed concerns about the privacy of their menstrual health data, yet many felt uninformed about how to protect it.
Embody aims to fill that gap by offering a free, offline-first version of its app with local encryption. Additionally, a paid membership will shortly include encrypted backup to provide added reassurance on data.
Meeting the moment
Since its launch in August 2024, Embody has gained significant traction.
“Over 45,000 menstruators have switched to Embody, with a surge after Election Day and we expect another surge in the coming weeks leading up to Inauguration Day and beyond” Hall says.
The demand is clear, and users are voting with their downloads. With the upcoming transition of political power in the U.S., this urgency for secure menstrual tracking tools is expected to grow.
A vision for the future
Hall and her team are committed to continuous improvement, and plans to be entirely open source in the future which allows anyone to verify the security measures the company promises.
As Hall puts it:
“Our team is working to protect women and people with cycles from their government, anywhere in the world.”
Embody is positioning itself as more than an app; moreso as a movement born out of necessity and driven by a vision to empower and keep safe all menstruators. In a world where user trust in tech is waning, Embody is setting a new standard for what period tracking—and protecting women’s health—should look like.
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Yes, please!! When signing up for these apps and platforms, women don't realize that they are giving their personal information away for free. Some of it is used for research purposes (I just saw another period tracker promoting a study they did on MILLIONS of women's menstrual and menopause data). Others are using the information to promote their product on social media, even going so far as to take personal comments out of the app and posting them. And, because it's written into their privacy policies and consent forms, they can. I use the old-fashioned method of keeping track - paper. And it works fine for me. I wish Anna the best and will be sure to mention this app to anyone interested in still keeping the information in a digital format. Best, Shelby