Readability and vagueness of privacy policies in mHealth applications: a multi-country analysis

Abstract Privacy policies are intended to inform users about how their data is collected and processed, but they are often shaped by legal motivations that can reduce their clarity. This study analyzes English-language privacy policies from medical and health-related apps in 10 Western-influenced countries to assess their readability and vagueness. From an initial dataset of 3,992 policies, 713 were selected for analysis. Readability and vague language were quantified using standard indices. The findings reveal significant regional differences in both readability and vagueness. Notably, shorter policies tended to be less readable but also less vague than longer ones. This study represents a pioneering effort, as it is the first of its kind to specifically address the issue of vagueness in mHealth applications’ privacy policies. The results of this study imply that the privacy policies are way too long and complex to read and too vague to uncover the actual data handling and processing practices.