Continuing Health Care Privacy Crackdown, FTC Fines BetterHelp $7.8 Million
"Let this proposed order be a stout reminder that the FTC will prioritize defending Americans' sensitive data from illegal exploitation," said Sam Levine, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
March 02, 2023 at 03:46 PM
4 minute read
In another sign of increased regulatory crackdowns over privacy breaches in health care, online therapy platform BetterHelp must pay $7.8 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that for years it shared users' sensitive mental health information with third parties, such as Facebook and Snapchat, which used it for targeted advertising.
Under the settlement, which was approved by the commission 4-0 and announced Thursday, BetterHelp will be banned from sharing health data for advertising.
More than 2 million people have signed up with Mountain View, California-based BetterHelp since it launched 2013. The telehealth company requires anyone interested in its counseling service to fill out an online questionnaire with detailed questions about their health history, including whether they've been in therapy, have suicidal thoughts or are on medications. The intake questionnaire promises to keep the answers to those questions private.
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