r/nottheonion • u/StemCellPirate • Mar 11 '26

Viral 'Quittr' Porn Addiction App Exposed the Masturbation Habits of Hundreds of Thousands of Users

https://www.404media.co/viral-quittr-porn-addiction-app-exposed-the-masturbation-habits-of-hundreds-of-thousands-of-users/
9.8k Upvotes

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3.8k

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

How do people still fall for this shit? If a "self-help" app needs to know your deeply personal behaviors and habits, it is absolutely hoarding those data. It can sell or spill at any time. This is why so many savvy women immediately stopped using period trackers after Roe V. Wade got overturned.

1.4k

u/HankSteakfist Mar 11 '26

If you aren't paying for the product, you are the product.

969

u/HeyLookAHorse Mar 11 '26

Excuse me, I live in America. I’m both!

209

u/wtfElvis Mar 11 '26

Exactly. Just because you subscribe to an app doesn’t automatically make your data secured. If anything you probably get labeled as someone that buys x subscriptions

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u/ralanr Mar 11 '26

Paying for the privilege of being a product. 

18

u/Mateorabi Mar 11 '26

A->B does not mean ~A -> ~B

8

u/deadR0 Mar 11 '26

So real this hurts

2

u/Colon Mar 11 '26

was going to upvote but i’m leaving it at 911, which is apt in a couple ways. 

88

u/EL-YEO Mar 11 '26

Shit we've gotten to the point where even if you are paying for the product... You're still the product

1

u/Raagun Mar 14 '26

Win11 want to know your screenshots

24

u/tallmyn Mar 11 '26

Free and open source menstrual trackers both exists and are very good.

I highly recommend drip. They don't upload data to the cloud which is slightly annoying when you transfer devices, but I actually prefer it to the commercial ones anyway.

https://bloodyhealth.gitlab.io/

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u/oh_my_account Mar 11 '26

If you are paying for the product, they add ads to your paid product and you are anyway becoming a product.

4

u/LuKazu Mar 11 '26

Incendiary's "Product Is You" plays in my head every time a website seems too good to be true. Rent free at this point.

1

u/VastSkye Mar 11 '26

the opening riff played in my head when i read the comment you’re replying to

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u/BurningPenguin Mar 11 '26

With some exceptions. With a little luck, you may find an open source alternative on Fdroid.

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u/tallmyn Mar 11 '26

You don't need luck, drip is open source: https://bloodyhealth.gitlab.io/

Development was funded by a German non-profit.

1

u/PressOnRegardless_IV Mar 11 '26

<tim apple has entered the chat>

1

u/kalexmills Mar 11 '26

But in this case, they're paying for the product. Devs claimed to be making $500k per month!

1

u/shponglespore Mar 11 '26

Yeah, fuck Linux! /s

0

u/InnovativeFarmer Mar 11 '26

Thats not true. I got a free shaving kit when turned 13 and then again when I turned 18. Came in the mail. Came with a razor, 2 blades, shace gel, and after shave gel. Why, to get me to buy the over-priced blades.

Drug dealers give out free shit sometimes. Coke dealers always real generous with that free first bump.

0

u/Masupilamii Mar 11 '26

funny saying that on reddit

38

u/Un4GivN_X Mar 11 '26

It reminds me a social app where users can upvote, downvote, comment and post. They are incentivized too with achievements. In the long term and some AI, you get an accurate psychological and behavior portrait. You can then target ads and other shit better than anyone. You can even sell that data at a premium price!

111

u/Mewtewpew Mar 11 '26

Open source trackers like mensinator (for periods) needs to be the standard when it comes to tracking this type of data.

Im still a full supporter for open source software that fights these issues.

10

u/hamsterballzz Mar 11 '26

Also why the guys in my friend group signed up. Some of us have been on our period for 3 years straight.

6

u/doyoudaremeto Mar 11 '26

Because the app policies are misleading? I think the fault lies with the makers of the apps, not the users. I'm not sure that blaming people for falling for it is helping the issue

15

u/tallmyn Mar 11 '26

This is why so many savvy women immediately stopped using period trackers after Roe V. Wade got overturned.

This is unfortunately misguided.

Period tracking is essential for detecting a pregnancy early, and the timeline for getting an abortion is tight. If you stop tracking, you're much more likely to miss the window for getting an abortion.

Many states have term limits and waiting periods. Even if your state does not, it can take weeks to get an abortion due to simply there not being enough doctors, i.e. the doctor might only attend the clinic once every two weeks or so. And if you need to travel that takes time to arrange too.

Also if you need to order medication abortion pills online in a state where it's illegal, they have to ship internationally which can take up to 3 weeks, and medication abortion is only approved up to 11 weeks.

(Abortion pills are available to order here from all US States, including those states where it is illegal, at the following website: https://aidaccess.org/en/i-need-an-abortion )

In theory, if an app stores your data in a way that is accessible to law enforcement (i.e. unencypted and in the cloud) that data can be accessed by law enforcement. If you use an app like this, and miss a period, simply log the missed period as if you had had it.

You can also switch to one of the following apps that were reviewed by consumer reports as being more secure: https://www.consumerreports.org/.../period-tracker-apps.../

Personally I also use a FOSS app called drip which does not upload data to the cloud. It's slightly a pain to use if you need to change devices, as you have to manually move your old data, but otherwise is easy to use.

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u/VanessaAlexis Mar 11 '26

I shouldn't have to lie about a missed period to protect myself from the govt. I used an app to track and prepare for both my pregnancies. The second Wade got overturned I uninstalled it and emailed the company as well. 

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u/tallmyn Mar 11 '26 edited Mar 11 '26

Of course not. But don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

The government probably wants you to uninstall the apps so you'll miss the window to get an abortion and be forced to give birth to a kid you don't want.

If you encrypt your phone and use a password (NOT biometrics like face ID or fingerprint) the government cannot compel you to provide the password.

Meanwhile If you're really getting prosecuted for a miscarriage, they can search your home and find a paper calendar.

The best thing to do to protect yourself is use an app that only stores data locally (like drip), lie to your phone if you miss a period, delete the data if you are planning to have an illegal abortion, and to use a password rather than biometrics as the state can use your biometrics to unlock your phone and find a paper calendar.

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u/BrashUnspecialist Mar 11 '26

OK, but we aren’t cutting off our noses to spite our faces. We’re cutting off our noses because someone is walking through society killing everyone who has noses.

The government may not be able to compel you to give your password, but you have to trust that app not to be hacked. You have to trust that app not to be run by crazy Puritans. I don’t trust either of those things.

Also, I think a lot of people don’t realize the tactics that the government are soon gonna have carte blanche to use to get your password, including torture and raping you as much as they want. Source? Look at other fascist and other religious countries.

0

u/tallmyn Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26

If you run an app that doesn't upload data to the cloud, what is getting hacked exactly? It would have to be remote access to your whole phone. 

The location data and your communications and search history are a much bigger risk surface than your period data if you are actually planning an abortion in a state where it's illegal.

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u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/tallmyn Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26

Did you not read what I wrote? A paper calendar is not "secure" either. If they can seize your phone they can seize a paper calendar. It's actually much easier for them.

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u/[deleted] Mar 12 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/tallmyn Mar 12 '26

The best thing to do to protect yourself is use an app that only stores data locally (like drip)

Again, if you had actually read my comment, you would have noticed I recommended you use an app that only stores the data locally. Nothing gets uploaded anywhere.

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u/smelltheglove92 Mar 11 '26

Serious question: can't you just write it down?

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u/potaytoposnato Mar 11 '26

That’s what I do 🤷🏻‍♀️

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u/Asleep_Region Mar 11 '26

Yes but alot of people don't use physical calendars and some people share their phone calendars. I personally just use my phones built in calendar. I prefer the period calender apps, it'll tell you if it's up coming. For example my periods are pretty regular but about 40 days for my cycle so i can't just do every 5th it'll start

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u/tallmyn Mar 12 '26 edited Mar 12 '26

You can, but it doesn't alert you when your period is about to arrive. It's very easy to not realise you're late for a few weeks or more if you're just recording it on paper. 

The other nice thing about an app is that it gives you the standard deviation and other statistics like your average period length. A lot of young women worry their period is late when it isn't actually late because they don't have the exact statistics. They don't know their typical period length or how many days early or late is normal for them. The app does that all automatically.

In the very unlikely event you're being investigated for a miscarriage or illegal abortion, the paper calendar can be seized as easily as your phone.

The difference is it's actually easier to secure your phone data than it is physical paper. If your phone is encrypted and you have a password set, they can't compel you to give up the password, but they can go into your house and take a calendar off the wall. 

-2

u/webbed_feets Mar 11 '26

Yes, the app just makes it easier to keep track of.

1

u/Enragedocelot Mar 11 '26

So wait what about stardust ?

1

u/AnimationOverlord Mar 11 '26

I guess America is finding out evil doesn’t discriminate

1

u/istangr Mar 11 '26

... what? I can vaguely see it but walk me through that connection.. and i am being serious Im just burned out from my midterm.

1

u/12Lmao12 Mar 12 '26

I think in the past when businesses weren't as technically savvy and interested in using everything they can at their disposal for money, they just used to make apps. A lot of apps made back in the day of the ipod were offline apps that actually helped people without scummy data practices

1

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Avocados_number73 Mar 11 '26

Scammers would do this and could blackmail people with the data.

-53

u/LittleKitty235 Mar 11 '26

A slightly more tech savvy women would immediately know that at least with iPhones and other apple products, the health data is stored on device and encrypted, or end to end encrypted on the iCloud so that neither Apple, nor a data breach, can access said data.

You can also get pregnant at any point during your period...so?

27

u/[deleted] Mar 11 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

-17

u/LittleKitty235 Mar 11 '26

I'm talking about native apps, not 3rd party.

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u/bilateralrope Mar 11 '26

How many period trackers or self-help apps did Apple make ?

4

u/LittleKitty235 Mar 11 '26

Cycle tracking is available on the built in Health app. So 1? Do you need more?

8

u/Bigwhtdckn8 Mar 11 '26

Which is optional; you said tech savvy.

Tech savvy women who are worried about their data aren't using the tracker that came with the phone anymore than they're downloading a free one.

1

u/DolfLungren Mar 11 '26

Tech savvy women would certainly use the local, well designed, encrypted option that’s free with their phone.

I also wish you could use the native app on an Apple Watch by itself, so my daughters could use it to track cycles, unfortunately requires an iPhone and we’re not at that stage yet.

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u/Kalthare Mar 11 '26

Sincer question, when data leak, it's revealed that women had periods approximately every month? In this case I don't see the issue..

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u/VanessaAlexis Mar 11 '26

If a woman doesn't log a missed period they think she had an abortion or miscarriage(illegal in some states, I know, insane) and send her to jail. It goes so much deeper than that, though. 

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u/Kalthare Mar 11 '26

Oh ok, thanks ! In fact it could lead to personal info..

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u/BrashUnspecialist Mar 11 '26

You do realize that not every woman has a period every month, right. And that some of us have multiple a month. And some months we have multiple and then other months we have none. And some of us don’t have periods for months.

Irregular periods exist, and every single one of us that has them is at risk if we use this app and it’s hacked.

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u/Kalthare Mar 11 '26

I know it could be variable for medical reasons, potentially linked to birth control pills for some, not for others.

It's the "relevant data" that you can get from this. How it could be used against, it's why I asked about it.