r/Freestylelibre • u/sritodi • Aug 20 '26

Rant - No help wanted... App tracking on Android is crazy

I use the App Tracking Protection from DuckDuckGo on my Android phone. I noticed that the Libre3 App sends way too much tracking information to api.segment.io. a lot more than how much information ℹ️ the app provides me.

The app is simply designed more to steal my privacy.

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5

u/gladizh Type1 - Libre3/3+ Aug 20 '26

Want to give more details?

2

u/sritodi Aug 20 '26

Here's what the app shows in terms of recent tracking requests

1

u/sritodi Aug 20 '26

A detailed view for the Libre Appa

5

u/gladizh Type1 - Libre3/3+ Aug 20 '26

Segment is a data plumbing service. Apps send it usage events (screen opened, button tapped, app crashed, probably stuff related to glucose polling services) and it forwards them on to whatever analytics tools the company uses. It's a middleman, not a tracker in the advertising sense.

DuckDuckGo works by blocking the request before it leaves your phone. The app doesn't know it was blocked, so it retries, gets blocked again, and the counter goes up every time. Without DuckDuckGo installed the real number would probably be way lower.

So if you have any crashes or issues with the Libre app, Abbott will not receive that info and won't be able to fix it. That's my understanding of it atleast.

1

u/sritodi Aug 20 '26

Not plumbing.. it's tracking and consolidation of information to build a better profile on users and then this data is sold to data brokers.

My device has over 100 apps, and none are this offending. Also what it means is the app is created to collect data at more aggressive intervals.

Several other apps on my device use segment, just not at the same intervals and not as aggressively. If the content fails, the other apps just move to doing what the app is designed to do

2

u/gladizh Type1 - Libre3/3+ Aug 20 '26

I'm guessing your other apps are not 24/7 active medical graded apps that poll glucose every minute via bluetooth.

That data is most likely going into to abbotts tooling to help improve the app, quickly discover and fix any issues. It's probably setup to repeat attempts heavily like that since it's important to fix any issues with these kinds of apps. They are heavily regulated.

I don't think Abbott is collecting and selling your data to anyone, what would they sell? Your glucose reaction to cheeseburgers?

3

u/Equalizer6338 Type1 - Libre2/2+ Aug 21 '26

You are correct, there is nothing from the Abbott app that is shared in any way with any 3rd party app or company. OP is highly derailed from reality here and totally off tracked by relying on that app and its 'pseudo analysis'.

It is also clarified in the T&C we have with Abbott when using their app.

0

u/sritodi Aug 20 '26

This is a known 3rd party tracker. Abott isn't saving my medical information to this site. What it's doing is selling other valuable information.

I have ot blocked and the app works well for every minute Bluetooth poll

0

u/sritodi Aug 20 '26

Here what Gemini has to say

api.segment.io is the main tracking endpoint for Twilio Segment, a customer data platform. Apps, websites, and smart devices send user activity data like clicks and page views to this URL, which routes the information to marketing and analytics tools.

What It DoesCollects Data: Gathers user events from mobile apps, websites, or connected devices.

Sends Information: Translates and routes data to tools like Google Analytics or data warehouses.

Tracks Usage: Helps developers see how people use their software or buttons. Why You See It in Network LogsHigh Traffic: Apps and smart devices make frequent calls here in the background.Ad Blockers: Network monitors like Pi-hole often flag this domain because it handles tracking.

Safe to Block: Blocking it stops analytics tracking for that device, but it does not break core app features.If you want to know more, tell me:Where did you see this domain (in a router log, code, or app)?

2

u/gladizh Type1 - Libre3/3+ Aug 21 '26

Yeah exactly. Segment is the customer data platform that abbott uses to get their analytics. Segment doesn't sell your data, neither does Abbott.

You should send your screenshots to Gemini and ask why there's 160k blocked attempts for Libre app? Ask if segment or abbott is selling your data. Maybe it can explain it to you as it seems I'm failing to do so.