News > Software & Apps Mental Health Apps Found to Have Bad User Protections According to Mozilla's 'Privacy Not Included' report By Cesar Cadenas Cesar Cadenas Twitter Writer California State University - Long Beach Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry since 2016 on a variety of topics like cryptocurrency, video games, the latest gadgets, and much more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on May 2, 2022 11:43AM EDT Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Software & Apps Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Tech Leaders Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Women in Gaming Mozilla has updated its Privacy Not Included buyer's guide to reveal that a wide variety of mental health apps have pretty bad user privacy protection. Out of 32 apps examined, 27 were given a 'Privacy Not Included' warning label. Apps flagged with this label have failed to meet Mozilla's minimum security standards, like allowing weak passwords and mismanaging vulnerabilities. The guide also informs you if these apps collect user data. fizkes/Getty Images Apps hit with Mozilla's seal of disapproval include BetterHelp, MindDoc, and even some Christianity-related apps like Pray.com. Clicking on an entry gives you detailed information on what Mozilla found wrong with the app. For example, in BetterHelp's profile, you'll see all the problems Mozilla found with the service, including a short privacy policy with a lot of missing information. The app also collects a lot of user data (name, age, phone number, questionnaire responses), which they can share with advertisers and other companies within their group. Not all profiles are the same, as each app has its own problems. Mindshift CBT, for example, doesn't sell user data but does have weak encryption making said data vulnerable. But they all share the same three review sections; Privacy, Security, and AI. Luis Alvarez/Getty Images One of the better-rated apps is PTSD Coach, which was found not to collect personal information, and any data collected is anonymous with a clear privacy policy. However, since the entries are open to user input, the list may change to include new poorly rated apps. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit