--- title: "The Dutch privacy watchdog warns about period apps, and Editie NL names PERIOD. as the European alternative" description: "The Dutch Data Protection Authority warned about cycle-tracking apps this week. RTL 4 / Editie NL covered it and named PERIOD. as the European, transparent alternative. Here is exactly what the regulator said, and what you can check yourself." url: https://myperiod.app/en/blog/period-in-rtl-editie-nl lang: en date: 2026-08-07 publisher: PERIOD. B.V., Amsterdam --- [Back to blog](https://myperiod.app/blog) [Privacy & PERIOD.](https://myperiod.app/blog/categorie/privacy) · 6 min read # The Dutch privacy watchdog warns about period apps, and Editie NL names PERIOD. as the European alternative [Lees dit artikel in het Nederlands](https://myperiod.app/blog/period-in-rtl-editie-nl) PERIOD. team · August 7, 2026 On **4 August 2026** the [Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, AP)](https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/actueel/ap-privacyrisicos-door-gebruik-menstruatie-apps) 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. [Watch the Editie NL item →](https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws/editienl/video/897aefde-1683-482a-9cdb-b600b9110b41/privacywaakhond-waarschuwt-pas-op-voor) The story travelled: [Het Parool](https://www.parool.nl/nederland/privacywaakhond-waarschuwt-gebruikers-van-menstruatieapps-criminelen-hebben-het-gemunt-op-gevoelige-gegevens~b7bb3bf7/) 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](https://myperiod.app/delete-account) yourself. - We publish our [sub-processors](https://myperiod.app/sub-processors) and a plain-language [privacy policy](https://myperiod.app/privacy). 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](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/period-cycle-period-tracker/id6757947793) or [on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.myperiod.android). Want to understand your cycle better? ## Keep reading [Best period tracker app for privacy in 2026: 6 questions that decide itWhich cycle app is safest for your data? Six questions to test any app in two minutes, plus how Flo, Clue, Natural Cycles and PERIOD. compare.Read more](https://myperiod.app/blog/best-period-tracker-app-privacy-2026)[Is PERIOD. free? What the app really costs (and what it does not)Short answer: yes. Tracking your cycle, predictions and reminders cost nothing. Plus and baby are extras. Here is exactly what is what, no fine print.Read more](https://myperiod.app/en/blog/is-period-gratis-wat-kost-de-app)[Does my period app sell my data? How to check in 5 minutesShort answer: you cannot tell from the app itself, but you can from the privacy policy and the trackers. Five checks you can do yourself, on any cycle app, including ours.Read more](https://myperiod.app/en/blog/verkoopt-mijn-menstruatie-app-mijn-data-checklist)