The Dutch privacy watchdog warns about period apps, and Editie NL names PERIOD. as the European alternative
On 4 August 2026 the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, AP) issued a warning about period- and fertility-tracking apps. A few days later Editie NL on RTL 4 ran an item about it, and named PERIOD. as the European, transparent alternative. We're proud of that, but the message itself matters more.
What the regulator actually said
- Nearly a quarter of Dutch women use a cycle or fertility app.
- What you log, when you bleed, hormonal symptoms, when you have sex, whether you're pregnant or had a miscarriage, counts as special category personal data under the GDPR. It may in principle not be collected at all, unless you give explicit consent.
- In practice it is often unclear what apps do with that data and whether it is shared with advertising partners.
- The AP urges people to be cautious and says it may launch an investigation into these apps.
AP vice-chair Monique Verdier summed up the risk: "Girls and women record a lot of intimate information in these apps. That makes them vulnerable, for example when this sensitive information ends up with advertisers without them wanting it to."
The regulator's advice to users is refreshingly practical: check what you are consenting to when you install the app. If the information is unclear, or if you cannot refuse data sharing, don't enter anything you want to keep private.
Editie NL: be careful with period apps
Editie NL (RTL 4) covered the story in its 7 August 2026 broadcast, titled "Privacy watchdog warns: be careful with period apps". The item explains that cycle apps hold extremely sensitive information while it is often unclear what happens to it. PERIOD. was named as the European alternative: a cycle app with no advertising business model behind it.
The story travelled: Het Parool reported on it, NL Times covered it in English, and our founder Lisa Volkers joined NOS Met het Oog op Morgen on NPO Radio 1 to discuss it.
Why this matters
Cycle data isn't ordinary data. A handful of logs can reveal whether you're pregnant, trying to conceive, had a miscarriage, use contraception, or when you have sex. That's exactly the kind of information advertising markets pay for, and that you lose all control over the moment it leaves your phone.
The AP also points out that this data is attractive to bad actors: the more copies exist, the higher the chance it leaks one day.
Four questions to ask of any cycle app
- Where is my data stored? Servers inside the EU fall under the GDPR. Outside it, things get complicated fast.
- What's the business model? If the app is free with no subscription or donation, data or ads are probably the model.
- Can I refuse sharing? If you can't say no to tracking or marketing at install time, that's a red flag.
- Can I delete everything? A real delete button, account and data, should simply be there.
How PERIOD. handles it
- Your cycle data is never sold or shared with advertising partners. There is no ad model.
- Data is stored on European servers, under the GDPR.
- The AI assistant only runs with explicit consent, and we deliberately send as little as possible, your display name, for instance, is never included.
- You can delete your account and all your data yourself.
- We publish our sub-processors and a plain-language privacy policy.
PERIOD. was built by two people who got fed up with existing cycle apps: too many ads, too much data collection, too little explanation. The regulator's warning is precisely why we started.
FAQ
What exactly is the Dutch DPA warning about?
About sharing highly sensitive information with period and fertility apps, because it is often unclear what those apps do with it and whether they share it with advertising partners. The authority has not ruled out an investigation.
Should I stop using my cycle app?
Not necessarily. The advice is to check what you consent to, and not to log information you want to keep private if that's unclear. An app with a transparent, non-advertising model is a safer choice.
Does PERIOD. sell data?
No. We don't sell cycle data and we don't share it with advertising partners.
Want to track your cycle without your data being sold? Download PERIOD. on the App Store or on Google Play.
Want to understand your cycle better?
