BetterHelp exposed users’ ‘sensitive’ data to Facebook, others, feds say. What to know
BetterHelp shared “sensitive” mental health data it promised to keep private, a federal complaint says. Now the online counseling platform has to pay up.
BetterHelp has agreed to a $7.8 million settlement after the company was accused of disclosing users’ personal data to third-party sites such as Facebook for targeted ads, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
The nearly 50-page complaint said BetterHelp misled users about protecting their data. Officials proposed an order banning the virtual counseling platform from sharing members’ clinical and personal information.
“When a person struggling with mental health issues reaches out for help, they do so in a moment of vulnerability and with an expectation that professional counseling services will protect their privacy,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.
“Instead, BetterHelp betrayed consumers’ most personal health information for profit,” he said.
Authorities said the $7.8 million settlement will provide partial reimbursement to affected users who paid for BetterHelp’s services between Aug. 1, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2020.
It’s unclear how or when members could be repaid.
BetterHelp responds to settlement
The virtual platform charged $60 and $90 per week for counseling and dug into users’ mental health history, “such as whether they have experienced depression,” or were taking medication, to match them with a counselor, according to the FTC’s complaint.
Authorities said BetterHelp shared that information with advertisers and social media platforms such as Snapchat all while ensuring members their privacy was being protected — a claim the platform has denied.
“In addition, we do not receive and have never received any payment from any third party for any kind of information about any of our members ...,” BetterHelp said in a statement.
“This settlement, which is no admission of wrongdoing, allows us to continue to focus on our mission to help millions of people around the world get access to quality therapy,” the statement read.
Going forward, the therapy platform said it would safeguard members’ privacy and added that it was recently certified by HITRUST, a “security framework” used by health care providers and businesses.
What’s next?
The FTC’s complaint further accused BetterHelp of exposing members’ information “and the fact that they had previously been in therapy” to help Facebook “identify similar consumers and target them with advertisements.”
The practice helped drive new, paying customers to the platform with no cap on how third parties could use members’ private information, the complaint states.
The commission’s proposed order banning BetterHelp from sharing user data will be put to a vote and finalized after the public has a chance to comment. Details on repayment are expected in the coming weeks.
This story was originally published March 3, 2023 at 1:57 PM with the headline "BetterHelp exposed users’ ‘sensitive’ data to Facebook, others, feds say. What to know."