by idil abdillahi, anne rucchetto, madeleine dewelles
active and would-be users of
pocketwell
, part of the canadian government’s plan to combat the
severe mental health impacts
from the covid-19 pandemic, must be made aware of the app’s under-explored implications.
pocketwell, made active in january, is the product of “
a consortium of leaders in digital mental health and substance use support”
who have launched “
wellness together canada
(wtc) – an online platform that gives access to a virtual network of mental health and substance use supports.”
the app is “free” to use, includes “a self-assessment tool and tracker that monitors mood and mental well-being” and connects “seamlessly” to the wtc portal. the canadian government states that pocketwell is a response to canadians’ feedback, and part of wtc’s efforts to improve mental health and substance use services.
however, as an app that will record detailed information about user mood and mental well-being, canadians should be made aware that pocketwell will extract a significant amount of data from users. and as data has now become the
most valuable commodity on earth
, this warrants consideration.
92 per cent of canadians have expressed concern about the protection of their privacy, with 37 per cent stating they are extremely concerned.
greenspace, a company with american roots,
partnered
with health canada to release pocketwell and build the wtc portal, raising concerns about where users’ data will go; how it will be accessed by a private american company (and any of its affiliates); and whether it could be used to target ads toward users, create “profiles” of people with mental health issues or contribute to future surveillance (governmental or otherwise).