Every answer, part 113 of 145
Answers 2,241 to 2,260 of 2,899: Soma Labs' own answers about Soma, drafted from the pages of this site. Free to use under CC BY 4.0.
Your data and privacy
Can I see everything Soma has inferred about me?
Soma's inferences are the derived facts it computes from your raw record, and they're shown to you inside the app. For anything else Soma holds, you can ask for access or a copy at privacy@somalabs.me, and California residents can ask to know what Soma has collected and how it has used and shared it. Soma is built for general wellness and isn't medical care.
From Privacy Policy and FAQ.
Does Soma's license to my data let it resell it?
No. Soma's Terms of Use give it a limited license to run and improve the services with your data, the way the Privacy Policy describes. Soma doesn't use it beyond that. The Privacy Policy says Soma doesn't sell what it collects, and the license ends when your data is deleted.
From Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Once I sync my Apple Health data, does Soma own it?
It doesn't. Soma's Terms of Use say you own the data you put into Soma, including your Apple Health data, notes, mood entries and profile details. Soma doesn't own any of it. Syncing stores a copy of your raw record on servers Soma rents in the United States, where it stays while your account is open.
From Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
What does Soma do if someone gives false account information?
Soma's Terms of Use ask you to give correct information when you create an account and keep it up to date. If Soma has reason to believe account information is false, or that you no longer meet the requirements to use Soma, it may suspend or close the account. Each account is for one person and should hold only your own data.
From Terms of Use.
What's the difference between joining Soma's waitlist and creating a Soma account?
The waitlist takes an email address, along with technical details of the sign-up, and Soma keeps that email until it invites you or you ask for removal, for no longer than 24 months. An account is what history sync needs: an email address, a way to sign in and any optional profile details. The Today view runs on your phone without either. Soma hasn't launched yet.
From Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and About.
Does Soma use my mood entries for ads?
Mood entries aren't used for ads. Soma's Privacy Policy says it doesn't use what it collects to advertise to you, and there are no ads in Soma. Mood entries count as consumer health data, which Soma uses to provide the Today view, history sync and any AI feature you choose to use. Once history sync is on, your mood entries are stored with your record.
From Privacy Policy.
Does Soma count my Apple Health data as sensitive?
It does. Soma's California section lists health data, drawn from Apple Health with your permission, as sensitive personal information, together with what you write down and your account sign-in. Soma says it uses sensitive personal information only to provide the services you ask for and to keep your account secure, and for no other purpose. It's a wellness product and isn't a medical device.
From Privacy Policy and FAQ.
Can Soma change who it shares data with without telling me?
If Soma changes its Privacy Policy in a material way, it says it'll tell you in the app or by email before the change takes effect. Today the policy lists service providers bound by contract, plus disclosures only when the law requires, to protect rights and safety, with your consent or in a merger or acquisition. The date at the top always shows the latest version.
From Privacy Policy.
Can Soma use my notes in its research?
Not unless you agree to a specific study. Soma's Privacy Policy says it doesn't use data collected through the app in a study unless you separately give opt-in consent to that particular study, and each study has its own written consent form. Your notes and mood, once history sync is on, are stored with your record for the app itself. Soma isn't medical care.
From Privacy Policy and FAQ.
How does privacy differ between the Soma app and Soma Axon?
They're at different stages. The Soma app reads the Apple Health types you allow, works on your phone before you turn anything on and uploads a copy of your record only if you choose history sync. Soma Axon isn't available yet and collects nothing today, and Soma will give a separate notice and ask for explicit consent before it does. Soma describes itself as a general wellness product.
From Privacy Policy and FAQ.
If I test Soma through TestFlight, whose terms apply?
Both Soma's and Apple's. Soma's Terms of Use say that if you use a beta build through TestFlight, Apple's TestFlight Terms of Use apply as well. Soma's Privacy Policy is part of Soma's own agreement, so it still describes what Soma collects and how it's used. Soma is in beta, a pre-release product whose features can change without notice.
From Terms of Use.
If Soma is acquired, does my agreement move to the buyer?
Soma may assign its Terms of Use, for example as part of a merger or acquisition, while users may not assign them. Its Privacy Policy adds that in a merger or acquisition your data stays protected under the policy, and Soma will tell you. Soma Labs, the Palo Alto company building Soma Axon, hasn't launched Soma yet.
From Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and About.
What's the difference between what Soma's waitlist and its partner form collect?
Soma's waitlist takes your email address plus technical details of the sign-up, such as your IP address, approximate location, browser, device, language and time zone and the pages and links that led you there. The partner and developer form takes your name, email address, organization, topic and message, with approximate location, browser and the referring page and link. Both are kept up to 24 months, and writing through the form doesn't add you to the waitlist.
From Privacy Policy.
How do Soma's skin photos compare with a 3D body scanner's scan when it comes to privacy?
In a gym, a 3D body scanner reads your body's shape and measurements, estimated fat and lean mass and posture. Soma Axon is being built to photograph your skin at every visit. Staff are shown an outline of your body, and Soma says they never see the photos themselves. A fitted garment keeps covered skin out of the photos if you'd rather. Soma is a general wellness product, and the pod is still a prototype.
From Full-body scans compared, FAQ and About.
How is Soma different from a telehealth app when it comes to my data?
Soma answers for its own side only. Soma is a general wellness product and isn't medical care, and using it doesn't create a clinician-patient relationship. Its AI features are optional, informational only and not medical advice. The app reads Apple Health only with your permission, works on your phone before you turn anything on and doesn't sell what it collects. Soma Labs, the Palo Alto company building Soma Axon, hasn't launched it yet.
From FAQ, Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and About.
How does Soma handle reproductive health data compared with a cycle tracking app?
Soma can't answer for cycle tracking apps, but its own rule is specific. Sensitive Apple Health types, such as reproductive health and basal body temperature, are requested separately from other types and only when a feature actually needs them. Soma reads only the types you allow, never writes back to Apple Health and doesn't use Apple Health data for advertising or marketing. For now, Soma Labs (somalabs.me) runs a waitlist.
From Privacy Policy and About.
How does Soma's home blood kit compare with an at-home lab test for where results go?
Soma describes its own test in plain terms. It's an optional add-on with its own price, and a partner lab handles it. Results reach the Soma app a few days later. At pods with an attendant, a few drops come from your fingertip. Where a state doesn't allow that, you get a kit to use at home instead. Soma is a general wellness product, and the pod is still being built.
How does Soma's data policy compare with a health insurer's wellness program?
Soma speaks only for its own terms. Its Privacy Policy says Soma doesn't sell personal information or give health data to data brokers. Its Terms of Use forbid using Soma, or anything it computes, to make a decision about someone else's insurance. Outside its service providers, Soma discloses information only in the few cases its policy lists. Soma Labs, which is building Soma Axon in Palo Alto, hasn't launched Soma yet.
From Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and About.
How does keeping data in Apple Health compare with turning on Soma's history sync?
Without history sync, Soma reads the Apple Health types you allow and works entirely on your phone, with nothing from the Today view sent to Soma. Turning history sync on sends a compressed copy of your raw Apple Health record, plus notes and mood, to servers Soma rents in the United States. Soma doesn't store Apple Health data in iCloud. Soma is a general wellness product, and Soma Labs (somalabs.me) hasn't launched it yet.
From Privacy Policy, FAQ and About.
How do Soma's derived facts compare with a clinic's lab report?
Soma can't describe a clinic's reports, only its own figures. Its derived facts, such as a biological age estimate, come from wellness signals and aren't clinical tests, and Soma's Terms say they can be wrong. Each one comes with its date, how much data it's based on and the engine version, and every number is shown with its uncertainty. Soma is a general wellness product and isn't medical care.
From Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and FAQ.