Digital Health Apps Trade Traditional Doctor Visits for Instant Prescriptions
The FTC says Hims shared sensitive health data with Meta and billed customers for recurring prescriptions with little chance to review treatment.
- On Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission sued telehealth pioneer Hims & Hers, alleging the company engaged in "deceptive, unethical business practices" including sharing customer health data and bypassing real-time doctor consultations.
- Since the COVID-19 pandemic, scores of online health services have launched, but regulators claim Hims misled users by promising a "100% online, private and secure" platform while allegedly sharing sensitive data with Meta and Google.
- The lawsuit alleges Hims customers were automatically enrolled and billed for recurring prescriptions with "virtually no opportunity to review the provider's recommended treatment," bypassing necessary consultations.
- Hims disputed the government's claims, calling them "an effort to generate headlines at our expense," while the FTC has filed similar cases against BetterHelp and GoodRx for unauthorized data sharing.
- Federal laws protecting health information generally do not apply to telehealth services, creating a significant legal gap; privacy experts recommend using ad blockers or private browsers to protect consumer data.
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Telehealth companies keep exposing their customers’ medical data. What should they do? - Regional Media News
WASHINGTON (AP) - The appeal of telehealth is easy to explain: Instead of calling a doctor, booking an appointment and hoping to eventually get a prescription, you can log onto an app or website and get approved for a new medication within minutes. Since the [...]
Telehealth's quick prescriptions come with a hidden cost: your health data
The appeal of telehealth is easy to explain: Instead of calling a doctor, booking an appointment and hoping to eventually get a prescription, you can log onto an app or website and get approved for a new medication within minutes.
Telehealth companies expose customers' medical data
WASHINGTON — The appeal of telehealth is easy to explain: Instead of calling a doctor, booking an appointment and hoping to eventually get a prescription, you can log onto an app or website and get approved for a new medication within minutes.
Telehealth companies keep exposing their customers’ medical data. What should they do? – WTOP News
WASHINGTON (AP) — The appeal of telehealth is easy to explain: Instead of calling a doctor, booking an appointment and hoping to eventually get a prescription, you can log onto an app or website and get approved for a new medication within minutes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, scores of online health services have launched with...
Telehealth companies keep exposing their customers' medical data.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The appeal of telehealth is easy to explain: Instead of calling a doctor, booking an appointment and hoping to eventually get a prescription, you can log onto an app or website and get approved
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