Major telehealth giant Hims & Hers is the latest target of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) crackdown on consumer data privacy, following a years-long investigation into whether or not the company was selling sensitive customer health data. In a new filing issued July 29 by the agency, joined by the states of Utah and California, the federal watchdog has formally accused the direct-to-consumer health company of sharing patient information with advertisers and tech giants like Meta and Snap. The FTC claims Hims & Hers provided the companies with lists of customer names, as well as information on their site behavior, despite pledging to protect customer data privacy. Such disclosures violate FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, the FTC argues.
The lawsuit also alleges the platform "deceives users about its billing and cancellation practices," including making it difficult to cancel subscriptions and mischaracterizing the process for prescription charges for new patients. Specifically, the FTC claims the company misleads users into believing they will not be charged for prescriptions before consulting with a physician. In practice, the lawsuit claims, many customers are asked to provide billing information and charged for prescription plans shortly after filling out intake forms, and without first reviewing the medications.
