BetterHelp, Inc. Data Privacy Violations

Claim Type: Data Privacy Violation (Arbitration)
Corporation: BetterHelp, Inc.
Qualifications: California resident who used the BetterHelp website or mobile application
Timeframe: Within the past 12 months
Website URL: www.betterhelp.com

In a complaint filed on July 14, 2023, by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) against BetterHelp, Inc., the government alleged that BetterHelp disclosed the Visitor’s or User’s IP address in conjunction with other data about their enrollment in the Service and/or their Intake Questionnaire responses to third parties.

 

Each such disclosure constituted a disclosure of the Visitor’s or User’s protected health information because it both identified the individual (via the IP address) and conveyed to the recipient third party that the Visitor or User was seeking and/or receiving mental health treatment via the Service (via his or her enrollment in the Service or answering the Intake Questionnaire). BetterHelp, Inc., In the Matter of | Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov)

 

In disclosing Visitors’ and Users’ health information to Facebook and other third parties, BetterHelp did not contractually limit how the third parties could use and disclose the data other than merely agreeing to these third parties’ general terms of service, which either placed no restrictions on the third parties’ use and disclosure of the information or specifically permitted the third parties to use the information for their own purposes.