Mind the FemTech gap: regulation failings and exploitative systems
The security, privacy, and safety issues around Female-oriented technologies (FemTech) and data can lead to differential harms. These complex risks and harms are enabled by many factors including inadequate regulations, the non-compliant practices of the industry, and the lack of research and guidel...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in the Internet of Things |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/friot.2024.1296599/full |
| _version_ | 1797258544619192320 |
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| author | Maryam Mehrnezhad Thyla Van Der Merwe Michael Catt |
| author_facet | Maryam Mehrnezhad Thyla Van Der Merwe Michael Catt |
| author_sort | Maryam Mehrnezhad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The security, privacy, and safety issues around Female-oriented technologies (FemTech) and data can lead to differential harms. These complex risks and harms are enabled by many factors including inadequate regulations, the non-compliant practices of the industry, and the lack of research and guidelines for cyber-secure, privacy-preserving, and safe products. In this paper, we review the existing regulations related to FemTech in the United Kingdom, EU, and Switzerland and identify the gaps. We run experiments on a range of FemTech devices and apps and identify several exploitative practices. We advocate for the policymakers to explicitly acknowledge and accommodate the risks of these technologies in the relevant regulations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:55:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b5694cc14bbe45d1b48d003a16406c94 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2813-3110 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:55:13Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in the Internet of Things |
| spelling | doaj.art-b5694cc14bbe45d1b48d003a16406c942024-03-18T08:56:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in the Internet of Things2813-31102024-03-01310.3389/friot.2024.12965991296599Mind the FemTech gap: regulation failings and exploitative systemsMaryam Mehrnezhad0Thyla Van Der Merwe1Michael Catt2Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, United KingdomETH Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandNewcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United KingdomThe security, privacy, and safety issues around Female-oriented technologies (FemTech) and data can lead to differential harms. These complex risks and harms are enabled by many factors including inadequate regulations, the non-compliant practices of the industry, and the lack of research and guidelines for cyber-secure, privacy-preserving, and safe products. In this paper, we review the existing regulations related to FemTech in the United Kingdom, EU, and Switzerland and identify the gaps. We run experiments on a range of FemTech devices and apps and identify several exploitative practices. We advocate for the policymakers to explicitly acknowledge and accommodate the risks of these technologies in the relevant regulations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/friot.2024.1296599/fullfemale-oriented technologiesFemTechsecurityprivacydigital healthdata protection regulations |
| spellingShingle | Maryam Mehrnezhad Thyla Van Der Merwe Michael Catt Mind the FemTech gap: regulation failings and exploitative systems Frontiers in the Internet of Things female-oriented technologies FemTech security privacy digital health data protection regulations |
| title | Mind the FemTech gap: regulation failings and exploitative systems |
| title_full | Mind the FemTech gap: regulation failings and exploitative systems |
| title_fullStr | Mind the FemTech gap: regulation failings and exploitative systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mind the FemTech gap: regulation failings and exploitative systems |
| title_short | Mind the FemTech gap: regulation failings and exploitative systems |
| title_sort | mind the femtech gap regulation failings and exploitative systems |
| topic | female-oriented technologies FemTech security privacy digital health data protection regulations |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/friot.2024.1296599/full |
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