Sheroes-owned Maya leaked users sensitive data with Facebook, CleverTap

Your private and sensitive data including sexual and menstrual ones may not be known to many, but it might be known to social networking platform Facebook.

According to a latest report by UK-based Privacy International, two women-focused apps- Maya and Mia Fem, have been sharing confidential data of its users to Facebook.

Maya, which is owned by the social networking platform for women Sheroes, is alleged to share data with Facebook as soon as a user opens its app.

"Maya starts sharing data with Facebook before you get to agree to anything," said the report.

This is not all, the app also collects other health-related Information about users mood, medical data, personal notes and sexual life. Facebook sees all those data shared by users.

Facebook is not only third parties having access to all these data, but CleverTap also gets access to Maya's user database.

Maya's privacy policy exclaims that personal data may be used to comply with our advertisers’ wishes by displaying their advertisement to that target audience. Though, it does not specify about health-related data.

"We may share your information with our sponsors and business partners. Your information could be shared so that you may receive newsletters, offers, information about new services, and other information, if applicable. The information collected from You and other users may be analysed in different manners,” states its privacy policy.

In Jan this year, Sheroes had acquired Maya in an all-stock deal.

The five-year-old app enables women to track their health via a mobile application, set reminders, monitor pregnancy and connect with health experts.

Responding to Privacy International, Sheroes claimed to remove Facebook and Clevertap software that caused data leakage. According to a Moneycontrol report, Maya founder and CEO - John Paul ensured that the company doesn’t sell data to Facebook or any third party. 

Maya leaking user data or breaching it for commercial reasons are absolutely false, baseless and very very inaccurate. They are also one-sided and sensational, says Sheroes through a blog.

There is absolutely no breach of customer data, identity or commercial use of it, the company added.

Compromising users data isn't a new thing amongst startups of all sizes. Besides Swiggy and Zomato, EarlySalary, Chqbook, ixigo, Truecaller and Pepperfry are some notable startups who allegedly exposed users data owing to vulnerabilities in a way or another.

On the other hand, Facebook has in recent years emerged as a notorious offender as far as handling user privacy and setting propaganda is concerned. It exposed last year when the firm had allowed political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica to access vital users' data for setting agenda of a particular political party.

The story has been updated with Sheroes response.