Why Does Privacy Matter for Fertility Tracking?
Your fertility data is some of the most intimate information you can track. Learn why local-first storage protects you in ways cloud apps cannot.
When you track your fertility, you record some of the most intimate details of your life. Your cycle patterns, your observations, your relationship with your body: this information deserves protection that most apps simply do not provide.
What happens to your data in cloud-based fertility apps?
Most fertility tracking apps store your observations on remote servers. When you log your cervical mucus pattern or note your fertile window, that information travels across the internet to a company database.
This creates several risks you may not have considered:
- Your observations travel across the internet every time you log them
- A company gains access to your cycle history, fertility intentions, and health patterns
- Data breaches are a real risk (health data is valuable to hackers)
- Terms of service can change, allowing your data to be used in ways you never agreed to
In some jurisdictions, fertility app data has been subpoenaed in legal proceedings. This is not a theoretical concern. It has happened.
Why should I care about local-first storage?
Local-first means your data never leaves your device. There is no account creation that sends information to servers. No cloud sync that could be intercepted. No database a company could be compelled to hand over.
Where does your fertility data live?
- ✕Data stored on company servers
- ✕Requires internet connection
- ✕Privacy depends on company policy
- ✕Vulnerable to data breaches
- ✕Can be subpoenaed or sold
- ✓Data stays on your Mac only
- ✓Works completely offline
- ✓Privacy by architecture
- ✓You control all backups
- ✓No external access possible
This is not just a privacy feature. It is a fundamental architectural decision. We cannot see your data because we never receive it in the first place.
How does the Billings Method support privacy?
The Billings Ovulation Method is beautifully simple: observe and record. No temperatures requiring Bluetooth devices. No complex algorithms that need cloud processing. No hardware that phones home.
Billings Method: Simple by Design
We built MyBillingsMethod to match this philosophy. Simple tracking. Your observations. Your Mac. Nothing else.
What does local-first mean in practice?
When you use MyBillingsMethod, your fertility data receives protection that cloud-based apps cannot match:
Privacy Protection Comparison
- All data stays on your device. We use your Mac's local storage exclusively.
- No account required. You do not need to give us an email or create a password.
- Works offline. Because there is nothing to sync.
- Export your data anytime. It belongs to you, in standard formats you can read.
Why is "privacy by architecture" different from privacy policies?
Many apps promise privacy through policy. We provide privacy through architecture.
A policy can change with a terms of service update. A database can be breached by hackers. A company can be sold to new owners with different values. But if your data physically never leaves your device, none of these risks apply.
The most secure data is data that never exists on external servers in the first place.
This is what we mean by "privacy by design." Your fertility data stays exactly where it belongs: with you.
Ready to try privacy-first Billings tracking?
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Reserve Beta AccessThis article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The Billings Ovulation Method requires proper instruction from a certified teacher to be used effectively. Contact BOMA UK or WOOMB International to find an instructor near you. MyBillingsMethod is a tracking tool to support your practice of the method, not a replacement for professional instruction.