The gall of Better Health to frame their privacy breach email around "allegations" from the FTC.

I don't know how many people got that email, but wow that was a crappy response.

They should have known this was happening, because there is *no* appropriate reason for them to be sharing data with *any* social media company.

They should not have found out from a regulator.

And if they did, they should have owned up like grownups, not hid behind the FTC.

Someone needs to go to therapy and learn how to take responsibility and be authentic.

#BetterHelp #BetterHelpLeak #DataBreach #Privacy

Oops.
We shared your private info with Meta & Snapchat without your consent (keep in mind, we’re a mental health privider).

But don’t worry, we’ve stopped (all it took was a gov’t agency coming after us).
And we’ll tell Meta to delete it.
Don’t worry. They’ll definitely comply 🤣

.. #betterhelp #privacybreach #pridecounsellling #privacy #meta ..

​

Just received an email from #BetterHelp letting me know they’re accused of sharing my information with #Facebook for advertising purposes. Dafuck?

In the future, millions of ChatGPT-driven 'patient' bots will engage in billions of consultations with millions of ChatGPT-driven #BetterHelp bots; and thus will the world be transformed.

Email2Toot ROBOT -- CHECK ACTUAL AUTHOR BELOW:
See our email listserv for psychotherapists at https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
.

TITLE: PHI & Tech: I'm Wary of Tech Companies...

Hi All,

I'm forwarding with permission an email from Laura Reagan, LCSW-C -- a
local Baltimore area clinic owner regarding misuse of client PHI by
BetterHelp, GoodRx, and potentially other companies.

Thanks,
Michael

--- Forwarded Message ---

Hi all!

....

I'm wary of tech companies that are offering these types of shortcuts to
help clients and therapists, but then turn out to be selling client PHI
(even though they claim not to) which is how they really make their
money.
I've heard rumors that some of the companies that claim to give
therapists
better reimbursement for insurance clients are doing this (not
naming names
since I have no proof).

Two companies that have sold data even though their privacy practices
promised they didn't are BetterHelp (they earned $1B last year) and
GoodRx
(the company that helps people get prescriptions for cheaper). There are
surely others, but it seems the FTC is currently catching up now on
things
that happened 2017-2020. Some info is below.

FTC article about what they say BetterHelp did:
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/03/ftc-says-online-counseling-service-betterhelp-pushed-people-handing-over-health-information-broke

This response from BetterHelp, even as they settled with the FTC,
downplays
what they did and calls it normal marketing practices.
https://www.betterhelp.com/betterhelp-response-to-the-recent-ftc-settlement/

FTC article about what they say GoodRx did:
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/02/ftc-enforcement-action-bar-goodrx-sharing-consumers-sensitive-health-info-advertising

GoodRx issued a statement which I can't even read without agreeing
to their
privacy policy but I can see it says they disagree with the
settlement they
paid $1.5 million for.
https://www.goodrx.com/corporate/business/goodrx-response-to-ftc

... Any service that makes therapy more accessible while protecting
people's privacy and giving the best
possible reimbursement (full fee) to the therapist is something I
want to support! Especially because my practice doesn't accept
insurance!

Being trained as a social worker taught me to always ask "who benefits?"
and to answer that question with "follow the money!"

Warmly,

Laura Reagan, LCSW-C
Owner, Baltimore Annapolis Center for Integrative Healing
<https://bahealing.com>
Integrative Trauma Psychotherapy, Clinical Supervision, Consulting,
Coaching & Training
Founder, Trauma Therapist Network <https://traumatherapistnetwork.com/>
Host of Therapy Chat Podcast <https://therapychatpodcast.com>
Host of Trauma Chat Podcast <https://traumachatpod.com>

--
Merely Forwarded By:
*Michael Reeder, LCPC
*
*Hygeia Counseling Services : Baltimore / Mt. Washington Village
location*

 #psychology #neurology #socialwork #psychiatry @psychology
@socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth
#psychotherapists @psychotherapists #betterhelp  #goodrx #float
#therapyfinancing #financing #cookies #tracking #3rdpartytrackers #HIPAA
#privacy #dataprivacy #webbeacons

#US online counseling service #BetterHelp, Inc. “shared consumers’ health data, including sensitive information about mental health challenges, for advertising.”

The company has to pay “$7.8 million to consumers to settle charges that it revealed consumers’ sensitive data with third parties such as Facebook and Snapchat for advertising after promising to keep such data private.”

#DataPrivacy #Facebook #MentalHealth

From: @MarkLaCroix
https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@MarkLaCroix/110240548970667336

@irenes H'mmmm. This is presumbably the same #BetterHelp that is being so heavily advertised on many podcasts these days.

In a therapy session, at least a good one, you can feel confident that the person you’re talking to you will take you as you are, and try to help you on your terms. What I would not want, for example, is for a giant corporation to find out about my pekapekaphobia, and start giving me ads for, I dunno, t-shirts with crawling bats on them, or crawling bat phone holsters or something. Or, which is more likely, they’d sell that information to a company wanting to sell me bat-repelling boots, knowing that I would do anything to finally feel safe. It goes further than that, though, because Facebook has a record of massive data leaks, and so if, somehow, they got ahold of my information, anyone could find out!

#BetterHelp #Facebook #Privacy #Confidentiality #leak

https://freethoughtblogs.com/oceanoxia/2023/03/16/video-betterhelp-shares-your-data-with-facebook/

TITLE: More on BetterHelp Settlement

I believe this has a bit more information in it than the earlier
report.  The fine is still "proposed", but:

-- BetterHelp agrees with the settlement
-- BetterHelp is banned under the settlement from continuing to share
customer health data for marketing purposes
-- BetterHelp continued to do this even after being purchased by Teladoc
-- BetterHelp denies there is anything wrong with what they did and
assert that **its standard industry practice**.

*FTC fines BetterHelp $7.8M, alleges it shared consumers' health info
with advertisers**
*https://www.modernhealthcare.com/digital-health/ftc-betterhelp-consumer-health-info-facebook-snapchat-advertisers

--
*Michael Reeder, LCPC
*
*Hygeia Counseling Services : Baltimore / Mt. Washington Village location*
*410-871-TALK / michael(at)hygeiacounseling.com*

#psychology #psychiatry #mentalhealth #betterhelp #teladoc #socialwork
#HIPAA #medicaldata @psychotherapists @socialwork
@psychiatry #telehealth #datasecurity

#FTC has proposed to ban the online #counseling service #BetterHelp from sharing its customers’ sensitive #mentalhealth data with #advertising networks and marketers and requires the company to pay $7.8m as restitution to its users whose sensitive data has been shared https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ftc-to-ban-betterhelp-from-sharing-mental-health-data-with-advertisers/

NY MANDAG, NY CYBER2GO-UDSENDELSE!

* #BetterHelp får forbud fra #FTC

* #Play #Ransomware angriber #Oakland

* #BidenCash lækker 2 mio. kreditkort gratis

Du kan lytte med hvor du normalt finder dine #podcasts eller på https://cyber2go.buzzsprout.com!

Jeg har prøvet et nyt format i introen - jeg håber I kan lide den. Al feedback kærkomment, som altid. ❤

God mandag!

--
tags: #cybersikkerhed #cybersec #cybersecurity #cyber2go #IT #teknik #fælleshjerne #dkmastodon

I'm still surprised by the number of YouTubers I've seen still accepting sponsorship from BetterHelp.

I suppose it involves YouTubers actually running checks on sponsors...

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/betterhelp-shared-users-sensitive-health-data-ftc-97596138

#BetterHelp #Privacy #FTC

You know #BetterHelp, the online therapy service frequently advertised in podcasts?
They've been sharing clients' mental health information with companies including Facebook, Snapchat and Pinterest for advertising purposes.
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/betterhelp-shared-users-sensitive-health-data-ftc-97596142
"BetterHelp said the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing and that the behavior for which it was sanctioned is standard for the industry." - Well that concerns me.

@chadloder @Americanist4u I hope @NPR_USNews and other well known podcasts that #BetterHelp sponsors will take note!

@rudiev there is no excuse for this. Why can a #healthcare company especially one they deals with something as #sensitive as #MentalHealth think this is okay?! #betterhelp you should be ashamed!!!

#FTC order bars #BetterHelp from sharing data with social media platforms

https://www.axios.com/2023/03/02/ftc-betterhelp-social-media-platforms

"“Using this health information for advertising, [BetterHelp] has brought in hundreds of thousands of new Users, resulting in millions of dollars in additional revenue.”"

The punishment?

"The proposed order in the case will require BetterHelp to pay $7.8 million that will be used to provide partial refunds to people who signed up for and paid for BetterHelp’s services between August 1, 2017, and December 31, 2020. In addition, the proposed order prohibits BetterHelp from sharing consumers’ health data for advertising or sharing their personal information for re-targeting – serving ads"

BetterHelp's net worth?

Down from $45B in 2021 to $4B, but that's still 4-fucking-billion dollars...

It should be zero.

---

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/03/ftc-says-online-counseling-service-betterhelp-pushed-people-handing-over-health-information-broke

#BetterHelp #DataPrivacy #Ads #FTC #Privacy #Data #FuckCapitalism

BetterHelp Shares Your Data With Facebook

#Meta #Facebook #Privacy #BetterHelp #Conversion #LGBT #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA

https://youtu.be/jO7-DvkiP7M

So Better Help, the online therapy app, has been quietly selling customer data to Facebook. That's fucked.

https://youtu.be/jO7-DvkiP7M

#BetterHelp #DataPrivacy #data #Facebook #therapy #privacy #Illuminaughtii

Here is a new essay from the
iilluminaughtii

https://youtu.be/jO7-DvkiP7M

#illuminaughtii #essay #breadtube #betterhelp #facebook #meta #healthcare #therapy #mentalhealth