FTC sues Hims & Hers over alleged sharing of health data and billing practices
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Sensitive health data and billing in telehealth demand real trust, and alleged privacy promises broken before care was delivered would represent a serious consumer harm.
- They split on
- Whether the story is about protecting patients from health-data exploitation, or about enforcing accountability when a telehealth company breaks the promises its business depends on.
The Facts
- The Federal Trade Commission sued Hims & Hers on Wednesday.
- The lawsuit alleges Hims & Hers shared users' sensitive health information with third-party advertising platforms, including Meta and Snap, despite telling users their information would be kept private.
- The complaint was filed in federal court in the Northern District of California.
- The FTC filed the case along with Los Angeles County and Utah.
- The lawsuit also accuses Hims & Hers of deceptive billing and cancellation practices.
- Among the billing allegations, regulators say Hims & Hers charged some customers for prescriptions before they had spoken with a healthcare provider.
- Hims & Hers is a telehealth company that offers online access to care and prescriptions for areas including weight loss, hair loss, erectile dysfunction, and mental health, making the case relevant to a large direct-to-consumer healthcare business.
- Hims & Hers has disputed the allegations and said it will defend itself against the lawsuit.
Analytical frames for this storyTap to explore
Context
What is the FTC accusing Hims & Hers of?
The FTC says Hims & Hers shared users' sensitive health information with advertising platforms such as Meta and Snap despite privacy promises, and also used deceptive billing and cancellation practices Aol,Reuters,Morningstar.
Who joined the FTC in the lawsuit?
The case was filed with Los Angeles County and Utah, according to multiple reports on the complaint CNBC,Independent,CNA.
How has Hims & Hers responded?
Hims & Hers said it will defend itself, and the company has said its privacy policy allows customers to choose how their data is used Investing.com. It has also called the FTC's claims baseless in a public response Barchart.com.
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Wire services (2)
Independent coverage (44)
Money Talks News7 Things the FTC Says This Popular Prescription Site Did Beh...
The Next WebThe FTC is suing Hims & Hers for sharing patients' health da...
NourishHims & Hers FTC suit: data sharing claims mount
97.3 The DawgFTC Sues Hims & Hers Over Patient Data Shared With Meta And ...
NewserFTC Sues Hims & Hers Over Alleged Health Data Sharing
ArkansasOnlineFTC, Utah, county sue Hims over its practices | Arkansas Dem...
Insurance JournalHims & Hers Sued by FTC, Utah in Federal Court
YahooUtah joins federal lawsuit against telehealth company Hims &...
cnbctv18.comUS FTC sues Hims & Hers for sending user health info to Meta...
NotebookcheckMajor US telehealth company sued by FTC over health data sha...
HuffPostFTC Sues Hims & Hers Over Alleged Privacy Violations, Decept...
YahooFTC Sues Hims & Hers Over Alleged Privacy Violations, Decept...
alHims & Hers sued by FTC for sharing health data with Meta, S...
Internewscast JournalFTC Sues Hims & Hers Over Alleged Sharing of Health Data Wit...
Eagle-TribuneHIMS INVESTOR ALERT: Investigation of Hims & Hers Health, In...
FierceHealthFTC sues Hims & Hers over data privacy, billing practices
PC MagazineHims & Hers Allegedly Shared Users' Health Information With ...
AolFTC sues Hims & Hers, alleging it shared health data with Me...
CBS NewsFTC sues Hims & Hers, alleging it shared people's health dat...
CBS NewsFTC sues Hims & Hers, alleging it shared people's health dat...
therecord.mediaFTC sues Hims & Hers for allegedly sharing patient informati...
GizmodoFTC Sues Hims & Hers for Allegedly Sharing Private Health In...
MediaPostFTC Charges Hims And Hers With Duping Consumers Over Privacy...
MorningstarFTC Sues Hims & Hers, Alleging Unlawful Sharing of Data, Dec...
Inc.Hims & Hers Promised Users Privacy. The FTC Alleges It Share...
Yahoo! FinanceFTC sues Hims & Hers over health data sharing, billing
QuartzFTC sues Hims & Hers over health data sharing, billing
STATHims misled consumers and violated their privacy, FTC allege...
ABC 4Utah joins federal lawsuit against telehealth company Hims &...
The Wall Street JournalFTC Sues Hims & Hers, Alleging Unlawful Sharing of Data, Dec...
Asianet News Network Pvt LtdWhy Is HIMS Stock Down 13% Today?
StocktwitsWhy Is HIMS Stock Down 13% Today?
CNBCHims and Hers shares fall 10% as FTC sues company over data,...
Mail OnlineHims & Hers sued for 'sharing intimate health data with Meta...
Tech TimesFTC Sues Hims and Hers: Telehealth Giant Routed Patient Data...
The IndependentFTC sues Hims & Hers for sharing sensitive user health data ...
Yahoo! FinanceFTC Claims Hims & Hers Charged Patients Without Consent And ...
Idaho StatesmanUS FTC sues Hims & Hers for sending user health info to Meta...
Investing.comFTC files lawsuit against Hims & Hers Health By Investing.co...
wallstreet:onlineHims & Hers Responds to FTC Lawsuit
Barchart.comHims & Hers Responds to FTC Lawsuit
FinimizeFTC Sues Hims & Hers Over Health Data And Billing
CNAUS FTC sues Hims & Hers for sending user health info to Meta...
ForbesFTC Claims Hims & Hers Charged Patients Without Consent And ...
About these frames
The Guardian: Sanctity, degradation, bodily autonomy, moral boundaries, human dignity, bioethics, environmental purity. Where are the lines that should not be crossed?
The Advocate: Liberty, speech, privacy, autonomy, rights, consent, choice. What freedoms are at stake.
The Watchdog: Wrongdoing, responsibility, corruption, transparency. Who knew what, when, and what they did about it.
The Architect: Stability, law, enforcement, institutional design, separation of powers, regulatory process, rule of law. How are order and governance maintained?
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