BetterHelp shared users’ sensitive health data, FTC says

The web counseling service BetterHelp has agreed to return $7.8 million to clients to settle with the Federal Commerce Fee for sharing health information it had promised to maintain personal — together with details about psychological well being challenges — with corporations together with Facebook and Snapchat. The proposed FTC order introduced Thursday additionally limits how the California-based firm might share shopper information sooner or later.

BetterHelp mentioned the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing and that the habits for which it was sanctioned is customary for the {industry}.

Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Client Safety, nonetheless, mentioned BetterHelp betrayed customers’ most private well being data for revenue.

“When an individual fighting psychological well being points reaches out for assist, they achieve this in a second of vulnerability and with an expectation that skilled counseling companies will defend their privateness,” Levine mentioned in an announcement. Levine referred to as the proposed order “a stout reminder that the FTC will prioritize defending Individuals’ delicate information from unlawful exploitation.”

The enforcement motion follows an identical one on Feb. 1 by which telehealth and prescription drug low cost supplier GoodRx Holdings was assessed a $1.7 million penalty for sharing customers’ private well being information with Fb, Google and different third events with out their consent.

The FTC has made it away from its intent to crack down on the trafficking in delicate well being information by companies not strictly categorized as health care suppliers and thus not lined by HIPAA, the federal privateness guidelines that govern the well being care {industry}.

BetterHelp gives on-line counseling, together with companies geared towards Christians, teenagers and the LGBTQ neighborhood. Clients inquisitive about its companies fill out questionnaires that ask for delicate psychological well being data akin to whether or not they have skilled suicidal ideas and if they’re on treatment. They’re then matched with counselors.

Through the signup course of, clients have been promised BetterHelp wouldn’t use or disclose their private well being information aside from restricted functions akin to to offer counseling, the FTC mentioned.

The corporate nonetheless revealed information together with e-mail and IP addresses and questionnaire data to Fb, Snapchat, Criteo, and Pinterest for promoting functions, the FTC mentioned in its grievance. It additionally accused BetterHelp of deceptive clients and the general public in 2020 by falsely denying information experiences that it had revealed clients’ private information to 3rd events.

Beneath the proposed order, BetterHelp will present partial refunds for patrons who used the service from Aug. 1, 2017 till the tip of 2020, the FTC mentioned.

BetterHelp referred to as the data-sharing practices for which it was sanctioned “industry-standard apply” that’s “routinely utilized by a number of the largest well being suppliers, well being methods, and healthcare manufacturers.”

“Nonetheless, we perceive the FTC’s want to set new precedents round shopper advertising, and we’re joyful to settle this matter with the company,” it added in an announcement on its web site.