Mental health apps are collecting more than emotional conversations

A research study of 25 popular Android mental-health apps found widespread privacy risks: every app contained at least one tracker omitted from its privacy policy, many apps referenced third-party AI providers and some used user entries for model training, 19 apps requested camera/microphone access, onboarding commonly collected email and screening data before account creation, deletion mechanisms were often absent or burdensome, and data brokerage markets may allow sensitive user profiles to be bought and sold. The authors stress no evidence of malicious intent but warn users about potential behavioral profiling and insufficient confidentiality compared with licensed therapy.