Why do I need an account to use the newest version of Clue?

Relaunching a 10 year old app 

Since launching in 2012, Clue’s mission has been to empower people with a science-based, data-driven tool which helps them take charge of their reproductive health. We’re female-founded, female-led and remain independent, with a small devoted team in Europe building a product used by millions. A decade after the app's initial launch, we needed to make some changes to ensure we could grow with our community’s evolving needs. 

Clue was originally launched on a platform that did not require people to make an account to use it. We have learned a lot since then and continuously strive to make the app better and safer for our community. That’s why, since 2019, we’ve been asking new joiners to create an account, and have been communicating the benefits of doing so. 

Why? An account ensures tracked data is securely stored on our EU-based servers so that people can safely access it from any device. This is particularly important since we’ve seen the heartbreak people experience when data is lost when a phone breaks or goes missing. By making an account, your data can be easily retrieved, no matter what happens to the device you are using. 

Creating an account does not jeopardize your privacy 

Some of you might be wondering, what does Clue do with the email address I enter when I make an account? Your email address is a way for us to link you with your data on our servers. It is personal to you and can be used to email you about Clue, but that is for you to decide. You can learn about exactly what that means in our Privacy Policy and you can opt out of marketing messaging  in the privacy settings section of your Clue app. We do not sell your email address.

We know you use Clue to track some of your most intimate experiences and the importance of the data linked to those experiences, from helping you to get diagnoses for conditions like endometriosis to discovering that your cycles may be irregular. Understanding our bodies better through the data that we track can be life changing. That’s why we’re committed to protecting your health data in every way possible. 

Your data remains protected under European GDPR

As a community built on trust, we know that a fundamental part of earning that trust is being transparent about how we use and protect the sensitive data people choose to track with us. As a European company, Clue is obligated under the world’s strictest data privacy law, the European GDPR, to apply special protections to such health data. We understand that it can be challenging to assess how apps use data, so we commit to giving our community peace of mind.

• Our users’ health data is kept private and safe, including any data they track in Clue about pregnancies, pregnancy loss or abortion. 

• Our business model is based on selling Clue Plus subscriptions, not profiting from our community’s personal data to sell them products based on what they track, sharing any tracked data with ad networks, nor selling data to third parties. 

• Datasets used to advance reproductive health research are de-identified, meaning that no data point can be traced back to any individual by the researchers. 

In order for Clue to work and to function as a business, we employ carefully selected service providers to process data on our behalf, like all other consumer apps do. For these purposes, we share as little data as possible in the safest way possible. You can always opt out of your data being used for marketing and analytics purposes (in the privacy settings section of your Clue app) and research efforts (by emailing us at trust@helloclue.com).

Our Data Privacy Team works tirelessly to meet our commitment to protect our community’s data. From data encryption and auditing software tools for European privacy compliance, to the robust de-identification of datasets for our scientific research partnerships–we always have our community’s data privacy in mind and would never do anything to put it at risk. 

We’re here to help and answer your questions

Data privacy in a digital world is complex and we constantly strive to do better, making sure you can track your menstrual and reproductive health with peace of mind. Our privacy policy is written in plain language and regularly updated to reflect those efforts. It is the best resource to understand how we handle data privacy and data security in detail.

If you want to know more about how we protect our community’s data, check out this article. If you still have concerns about the privacy of your data, we would love to understand them and provide you with more information and clarity. For us to be able to do this, we invite you to send us a message via support.helloclue.com. We’d love to hear from you. 

We’re building Clue because we want people to be empowered by a deeper understanding of their bodies. As people who use our own product, we understand the importance of having a reliable and trustworthy platform for tracking our menstrual and reproductive health. We want Clue to be the best it can be not only for ourselves, but for our siblings, children, cousins, friends, neighbors, and colleagues–for all people with cycles.