Health Journal Online

Tag: platforms

  • FTC Alleges a Telehealth Company Sent Users’ Health Conditions to Ad Platforms After Promising Discretion

    FTC Alleges a Telehealth Company Sent Users’ Health Conditions to Ad Platforms After Promising Discretion

    Federal regulators have accused one of the largest direct-to-consumer telehealth companies of routing customers’ health conditions to advertising platforms while marketing itself on privacy.

    The Federal Trade Commission, joined by Utah and by California through Los Angeles County Counsel, sued Hims and Hers Health on July 29 in federal court in San Francisco. The complaint alleges the company shared sensitive health information about medical conditions with third-party advertising platforms despite promising privacy, and separately alleges deceptive billing and cancellation practices.

    None of this has been proven. The company disputes the allegations and says it will defend itself. A complaint is an accusation, and the court has made no findings.

    The reason it matters to readers who have never used the platform is the category. The conditions named are the ones people specifically seek online care for because they do not want to discuss them in person.

    What the Complaint Says Moved, and Where

    The alleged mechanism is a tracking pixel, a small piece of code embedded in a web page that reports visitor activity back to a third party. Pixels are ordinary infrastructure across commercial websites. They become a health privacy question when the page being tracked reveals a medical condition.

    According to the complaint as reported by TechCrunch, the company placed trackers supplied by Meta and Snap as well as Microsoft, Pinterest, Reddit, and X. The FTC also alleges the company uploaded lists of certain customers to advertising platforms, a separate practice from pixel tracking that matches known customer identities against platform user accounts.

    The service lines named in reporting on the complaint include erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, hair loss, weight management, and mental health. The FTC’s contention is that the company advertised privacy and discretion for exactly these categories while the data pipeline ran the other direction.

    Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in the agency’s announcement that the complaint describes “consumers unknowingly locked into recurring subscriptions” alongside disclosure of private health information without consent.

    The Billing Allegations Sit Alongside the Privacy Ones

    The complaint pairs the data claims with allegations about money, which is unusual and is part of why the case is being watched.

    Regulators allege the company advertised free consultations and displayed language indicating no payment was due at intake, then charged consumers and enrolled them in recurring subscriptions once a provider wrote a prescription, in some cases before any consultation had occurred. The complaint further alleges that cancellation was made difficult, leaving some customers paying for refills they did not want.

    The cited legal authorities are the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, a 2010 statute governing online negative-option billing, which requires clear disclosure of terms, informed consent before charging, and a simple cancellation mechanism.

    The company has responded firmly. In statements reported by BioPharma Dive and others, Hims and Hers called the claims baseless, said its privacy policy makes clear that users may choose how their data is used, and said it is confident in its position. It did not explicitly deny the specific factual allegations in the statements reported.

    A Pattern the Agency Has Pursued Before

    This is not a novel theory of enforcement. The FTC brought similar actions against GoodRx and BetterHelp in 2023, and against the telehealth startup Cerebral and the alcohol recovery provider Monument, in each case alleging that consumer health data reached advertising platforms through website technology.

    The industry has responded to that pressure. Pixel deployment on hospital websites fell from about 98 percent in 2021 to roughly 30 percent in 2025, according to tracking data compiled by health marketing analytics firm Hedy and Hopp and reported by Bloomberg Law. That figure describes hospitals rather than direct-to-consumer telehealth, and should not be read as a measure of the latter.

    One legal point is worth understanding because it surprises people. Most direct-to-consumer telehealth platforms operate in a space where HIPAA’s application is contested or limited, which is part of why the FTC rather than the HHS Office for Civil Rights is the agency bringing this case. Consumers frequently assume that anything involving a prescription is covered by federal medical privacy law. That assumption does not reliably hold for app-based commercial health services.

    Steps for Anyone Who Has Used a Telehealth Platform

    Nobody should stop needed treatment over a privacy dispute, and nothing here suggests any medication is unsafe. The relevant actions are about accounts and settings.

    Check advertising controls on the platforms named. Meta, Google, and other services allow users to review and delete off-site activity that businesses have shared, and to limit how that data informs ad targeting. Those controls are typically found under account settings labeled activity, ad preferences, or data sharing.

    Review recurring charges. Anyone enrolled in a telehealth subscription can check the current billing terms, the renewal date, and the cancellation process, and should document the date and method of any cancellation request. Consumers who believe they were charged without consent can dispute the charge with their card issuer and file a complaint with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

    For future care, consider that browsing a condition-specific page on a commercial health site is not equivalent to a conversation in an exam room. Care delivered through a health system patient portal generally does sit under HIPAA. That is a meaningful difference for anyone who considers the condition itself sensitive.

    Several things remain unresolved. The company has not filed its formal response. No court has ruled on any allegation. How many consumers were affected, what specific data elements moved, and what remedy regulators will seek are all matters for the litigation. MedicalDaily will report the company’s answer and any rulings.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What did the FTC allege? That Hims and Hers shared consumers’ sensitive health information with third-party advertising platforms despite promising privacy, and separately deceived users about billing and cancellation.

    Have the allegations been proven? No. The complaint was filed July 29, 2026, and no court has made findings. The company calls the claims baseless and says it will defend itself.

    What is a tracking pixel? A small piece of code embedded in a web page that reports visitor activity to a third party. It becomes a health privacy issue when the page reveals a medical condition.

    Which platforms are named? Reporting on the complaint identifies Meta and Snap along with Microsoft, Pinterest, Reddit, and X.

    Does HIPAA cover telehealth apps? Not always. Many direct-to-consumer platforms operate outside or at the edges of HIPAA, which is why the FTC rather than HHS is bringing this action.

    What can users do now? Review ad and data-sharing settings on the named platforms, check subscription billing terms and cancellation processes, and document any cancellation request.

    Has the FTC done this before? Yes. It brought similar cases against GoodRx and BetterHelp in 2023, and against Cerebral and Monument.

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  • You’re Not Lonely, You’re Just Untargeted: How Algorithmic Sociability is Screwing up our Social Appetites – a thought piece about the potentially negative impacts of social platforms’ targeted advertising on the way we interact with and prioritize human connections.

    You’re Not Lonely, You’re Just Untargeted: How Algorithmic Sociability is Screwing up our Social Appetites – a thought piece about the potentially negative impacts of social platforms’ targeted advertising on the way we interact with and prioritize human connections.

    Introduction

    In the era of social media, it’s easier than ever to connect with others and build relationships. However, beneath the surface of likes, comments, and shares, a more sinister force is at play. Algorithmic sociability, driven by targeted advertising, is manipulating our social appetites and changing the way we interact with each other. In this article, we’ll explore the potentially negative impacts of social platforms’ targeted advertising on human connections and why you’re not lonely, you’re just untargeted.

    The Rise of Algorithmic Sociability

    Social media platforms have become an integral part of our daily lives. We use them to stay connected with friends and family, share our experiences, and discover new content. However, these platforms are not just neutral spaces for social interaction. They are designed to maximize engagement and advertising revenue, using sophisticated algorithms to target specific audiences with tailored content and ads. This is known as algorithmic sociability.

    Algorithmic sociability uses data and machine learning to analyze our online behavior, preferences, and interests. This information is then used to create personalized feeds, recommending content and ads that are likely to engage us. The goal is to keep us hooked, increasing the time we spend on the platform and the likelihood of clicking on ads. However, this targeted approach has a dark side.

    The Homogenization of Human Experience

    Algorithmic sociability creates a bubble of sameness, where we are only exposed to content and people that reflect our existing interests and views. This homogenization of human experience has several negative consequences. Firstly, it reinforces our existing biases and prejudices, making it more difficult to engage with opposing viewpoints and foster empathy. Secondly, it limits our exposure to new ideas, experiences, and perspectives, stifling personal growth and creativity.

    Moreover, the algorithm’s focus on engagement and advertising revenue leads to the amplification of sensational and provocative content. This creates a culture of outrage and polarization, where people are more likely to interact with content that confirms their biases rather than challenging them. The result is a fragmented and divisive online environment, where meaningful conversations and connections are increasingly difficult to establish.

    The Commodification of Human Connections

    Social media platforms have turned human connections into a commodity, using our relationships and interactions as a means to generate advertising revenue. This commodification of human connections has significant consequences for our mental and emotional well-being. When we are reduced to data points and advertising targets, our sense of self-worth and identity becomes tied to our online presence.

    The pressure to present a curated online persona, complete with a highlight reel of achievements and experiences, creates unrealistic expectations and promotes consumerism. We begin to measure our self-worth by the number of likes, comments, and followers we have, rather than the quality of our relationships and experiences. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and loneliness, even when we are surrounded by people.

    The Illusion of Connection

    Social media platforms create an illusion of connection, making us believe that we are part of a larger community or network. However, this sense of connection is often superficial and lacks depth. We may have hundreds or thousands of online “friends,” but how many of these relationships are truly meaningful and fulfilling?

    The algorithm’s focus on engagement and advertising revenue prioritizes quantity over quality, encouraging us to collect followers and likes rather than nurturing meaningful relationships. This can lead to a sense of disconnection and isolation, even when we are actively engaging with others online. We may feel like we are part of a community, but in reality, we are just a collection of individual users, each interacting with our own personalized feed.

    The Loss of Serendipity and Discovery

    Algorithmic sociability also leads to the loss of serendipity and discovery, as our online experiences become increasingly predictable and tailored to our existing interests. We are no longer exposed to new ideas, experiences, and perspectives, as the algorithm filters out content that is unlikely to engage us.

    This homogenization of online experience stifles creativity, innovation, and personal growth. We are less likely to stumble upon new authors, artists, or musicians, as the algorithm prioritizes content that is already popular or trending. The result is a cultural landscape that is increasingly stagnant and predictable, lacking the diversity and richness that comes from unexpected discoveries and encounters.

    The Impact on Mental Health

    The negative impacts of algorithmic sociability on mental health are well-documented. The constant stream of curated and manipulated content can create unrealistic expectations and promote consumerism, leading to feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and anxiety.

    The pressure to present a perfect online persona can also lead to burnout and exhaustion, as we struggle to maintain a facade of happiness and success. Moreover, the lack of meaningful connections and the illusion of community can exacerbate feelings of loneliness and isolation, even when we are surrounded by people.

    Breaking Free from Algorithmic Sociability

    So, how can we break free from the constraints of algorithmic sociability and cultivate more meaningful human connections? Firstly, we need to recognize the ways in which social media platforms are manipulating our social appetites and priorities. By understanding the algorithms that drive these platforms, we can begin to resist their influence and seek out more diverse and authentic online experiences.

    Secondly, we need to prioritize quality over quantity, focusing on nurturing meaningful relationships and connections rather than collecting followers and likes. This may involve taking breaks from social media, engaging in offline activities, and seeking out new experiences and perspectives.

    Finally, we need to demand more from social media platforms, advocating for algorithmic transparency and accountability. By promoting diversity, inclusivity, and creativity, we can create a more vibrant and dynamic online environment, one that values human connections and community over advertising revenue and engagement.

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, algorithmic sociability is screwing up our social appetites, manipulating our priorities and interactions in ways that are detrimental to our mental and emotional well-being. By recognizing the negative impacts of targeted advertising and the homogenization of human experience, we can begin to break free from the constraints of social media platforms and cultivate more meaningful human connections.

    It’s time to take back control of our social lives, prioritizing quality over quantity and seeking out diverse and authentic online experiences. By doing so, we can create a more vibrant and dynamic online environment, one that values human connections and community over advertising revenue and engagement. Remember, you’re not lonely, you’re just untargeted.

    FAQs

    Q: What is algorithmic sociability?
    A: Algorithmic sociability refers to the use of algorithms and data to analyze and manipulate human behavior, particularly in the context of social media platforms.

    Q: How does algorithmic sociability affect human connections?
    A: Algorithmic sociability can lead to the homogenization of human experience, limiting our exposure to new ideas and perspectives, and creating a culture of outrage and polarization.

    Q: What are the negative impacts of targeted advertising on mental health?
    A: Targeted advertising can create unrealistic expectations, promote consumerism, and lead to feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and anxiety.

    Q: How can we break free from algorithmic sociability?
    A: We can break free from algorithmic sociability by recognizing its influence, prioritizing quality over quantity, and seeking out diverse and authentic online experiences.

    Q: What can social media platforms do to promote more meaningful human connections?
    A: Social media platforms can promote algorithmic transparency and accountability, prioritize diversity and inclusivity, and create features that encourage meaningful interactions and community-building.