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A few weeks ago, I came across a wild post on Reddit’s r/DHExchange subreddit: “I hoarded a large database of something valuable, just not what you expect—150k stools images.” The poster, Ill_Car_7351, was advertising exactly what it sounds like—a database of poop images collected from an AI poop analyzing app he had launched several years ago. Basically, 25,000 people had been taking images of their poop and uploading them to his app. He had been collecting, analyzing, and annotating these images and now wanted to sell access to them.
The post received a mix of reactions: some were horrified, like one who said, “When I was 5 the teacher taught me how to read. I now regret that happened,” while others questioned how he could monetize such sensitive data. The comments were filled with disbelief and concern over privacy issues. I messaged Ill_Car_7351 and expressed interest in obtaining the database, leading me into a journey through the Internet of Shit.
The poop database comes from an app called PoopCheck, which purports to use AI to analyze images of one’s stool to give a “daily gut health score.” The app features a community where users share their poops for commentary, and there is a leaderboard where participants earn points by sharing photos. However, the app provides mixed messages about the fact that the data uploaded to it will be analyzed, annotated, and packaged with other poops into a commercial database to be sold to AI companies.
The privacy policies of both the app and its parent company Soft All Things LLC are contradictory. The App Store page claims no data is collected from the app, but the privacy policy does not mention selling or sharing the data. On the other hand, the Privacy First pledge on the PoopCheck website emphasizes that user photos are encrypted and can be deleted at any time, in stark contrast to the Service Agreement stating that uploaded content grants Soft All Things LLC a worldwide license for use and commercialization.
On Reddit, Ill_Car_7351 provided more details about the app. They identified themselves as one of the founders and offered to share a sample dataset with me via Google Drive. The sample included 20 images from four specific users (five poops each), along with AI-analyzed data points such as Bristol Type, health status, shape, consistency, presence of blood or mucus, quantity, and floating state. Each image also had user-reported information like meal times, discomfort during defecation, and odor.
Marco, identified as a founder at Soft All Things LLC, provided an estimated pricing for the dataset: $3,000 for 10,000 unreviewed images (AI-validated), $4,000 for 5,000 fully human-reviewed and annotated images, or $5,000 for a combination of both. He suggested we discuss further to ensure the dataset met my needs.
Key Takeaways
- The app’s privacy policies are inconsistent with its claims regarding data collection and sharing.
- Users seem to have little control over their uploaded data, which may be used for commercial purposes without explicit consent.
- Sensitive health information is being collected and potentially sold to third parties in an opaque manner.
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Originally published at 404media.co. Curated by AI Maestro.
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