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Telehealth Companies Keep Exposing Their Customers' Medical Data. What Should They Do?

  • 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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The Independent broke the news in London, United Kingdom on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
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