Online counseling and mental health services BetterHelp must stop sharing customer data with advertisers and compensate customers $7.8 million, the Federal Trade Commission said Thursday. The FTC says BetterHelp shares customers’ sensitive health data, including mental health issues, with advertisers including Facebook and Snapchat.
“BetterHelp has promised consumers that it will only use or disclose their personal health data for limited purposes, such as providing counseling services,” the FTC statement says. “Despite these promises, BetterHelp has used and disclosed consumers’ email addresses, IP addresses, and health survey information to Facebook, Snapchat, Criteo, and Pinterest for advertising purposes.”
The FTC’s proposed consent order would require BetterHelp to pay back $7.8 million to people who used the service between August 1, 2017, and December 31, 2020. The consent order would also prevent the company from sharing and soliciting health information for advertising purposes. To create a “comprehensive privacy program,” ask third parties to delete data you’ve already shared and limit how long they can keep that data on hand.
BetterHelp did not respond to a request for comment. in A statement posted on their websiteThe company said it followed “industry-standard” advertising practices. “However, we understand the FTC’s desire to set new precedents around consumer marketing, and we are pleased to settle this matter with the agency,” the statement reads.
BetterHelp said its settlement with the FTC is not an admission of wrongdoing. The company added that it “does not and has never shared” member names or clinical data from therapy sessions with third parties.
The proposed approval order will be open for public comment for 30 days before a final decision is reached.
Facebook, Snapchat and Pinterest did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement sent to CNET, Criteo said it “maintains the highest levels of data privacy and security” and that it could not comment on the FTC complaint, as it was not named as a defendant.
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