FTC hits BetterHelp with $7.8M fine

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a finalised order that prohibits BetterHelp, a digital behavioural health company, from sharing consumer data for advertising purposes and mandates a payment of $7.8 million in penalties.

In an announcement made in March, the FTC revealed that BetterHelp had been disclosing consumer data to third-party entities like Facebook and Snapchat for advertising reasons. The FTC's commission unanimously voted to conclude the complaint, as stated in a news release on July 14.

As part of the penalty, a portion of the amount paid by BetterHelp will be utilised to provide partial refunds to affected users. Additionally, the FTC has imposed a requirement on BetterHelp to develop a comprehensive plan for safeguarding user data.

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