Updated
Updated · Nixon Peabody LLP · Aug 10
FTC, 2 States Sue Hims & Hers Over 2.5 Million Users' Health Data
Updated
Updated · Nixon Peabody LLP · Aug 10

FTC, 2 States Sue Hims & Hers Over 2.5 Million Users' Health Data

3 articles · Updated · Nixon Peabody LLP · Aug 10

Summary

  • The FTC, California and Utah accused Hims & Hers of sending roughly 2.5 million subscribers’ health information to Meta, Snap and other ad platforms despite promises to keep it private.
  • The complaint says the telehealth company used custom-audience uploads and tracking pixels to transmit actions such as intake-form completion and checkout in real time, without user consent.
  • Regulators also alleged deceptive subscription practices, including billing before provider review and a cancellation process that was phone-only before 2023 and later buried behind multiple screens.
  • Because Hims & Hers operates as a direct-to-consumer platform that may fall outside HIPAA, the FTC brought the case under the FTC Act and ROSCA instead.
  • The suit extends a broader crackdown after 2023 cases against GoodRx and BetterHelp, signaling tougher scrutiny of health-related data sharing and online cancellation design.

Insights

If HIPAA ignores direct-to-consumer telehealth, what stops platforms from feeding your sensitive medical secrets to social media algorithms?
How many other popular wellness apps are secretly funneling your private health intake forms directly to advertising giants?