The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against telehealth company Hims & Hers, accusing the firm of improperly sharing customers’ sensitive health information with third-party platforms including Meta and Snap without obtaining consent. The complaint, lodged in federal court in California’s Northern District, asserts that Hims & Hers violated its own privacy commitments to users by disclosing such data through tracking technologies and customer list sharing.
What Happened
On July 29, 2026, the FTC publicly disclosed its legal action against Hims & Hers, a San Francisco-based telehealth platform founded in 2017 and publicly traded. The agency alleges that Hims & Hers shared users’ private health data with Meta and Snap via tracking tools embedded on its website and through direct sharing of customer information with advertising partners.
The complaint pointed out that these practices were contrary to privacy assurances given to customers, who accessed Hims & Hers to obtain telehealth consultations and prescription treatments for conditions such as sexual wellness and weight management. Alongside data sharing allegations, the FTC also accused the company of failing to clearly inform customers about charges for prescriptions and making subscription cancellations unnecessarily difficult.
Following the announcement, Hims & Hers’ stock price dropped nearly 15%. In response, the company denied the allegations, describing them as baseless and pledging to defend itself vigorously in court. It emphasized that its privacy policies allow customers to control how their information is used and that data shared with healthcare providers is solely for treatment.
Key Facts
The FTC complaint highlights that Hims & Hers’ use of Meta tracking technologies enabled the creation of highly specific audience profiles, effectively sharing health-related information without informed user consent. Alongside Meta, the company also disclosed information to other advertising platforms including Snap.
Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, criticized Hims & Hers for exposing private medical data and imposing recurring subscription charges without transparent disclosure.
What This Means
This lawsuit underscores critical risks related to privacy in the growing telehealth sector, where sensitive health information is routinely handled online. For users, unauthorized sharing of health data with social media and advertising companies threatens individual privacy and could lead to targeted marketing or data misuse without their knowledge.
Companies like Hims & Hers operate in a regulatory environment that increasingly demands transparency and user control over personal data, especially medical information. The case highlights the need for telehealth providers to enforce strict data governance and communicate clearly about subscription terms. It also signals that regulatory bodies are willing to take enforcement actions to protect consumer privacy in digital health services.
What Remains Unclear
The full extent of the data shared and the identity of all third-party recipients beyond Meta and Snap remain unspecified. It is also not confirmed whether all affected users have been notified of the data-sharing practices or how many individuals might be impacted by these alleged privacy violations. Details about ongoing internal or remedial measures taken by Hims & Hers have not been disclosed.
What Comes Next
The FTC’s filing initiates a court battle expected to clarify legal boundaries for data handling in telehealth. Hims & Hers has announced plans to contest the charges. Further developments may include more comprehensive disclosures and potential regulatory mandates or settlements aimed at securing patient privacy moving forward.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following sources:
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