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 review.
- 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.
41 Articles
41 Articles
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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