FTC fines online counselor $7.8M, halts sensitive data sharing

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced a proposed order against online counseling service BetterHelp over alleged improper data sharing for advertising purposes. The agency ordered a USD7.8 million payout to affected customers while banning the service from conducting further data sharing that leads to nonconsensual use for third-party advertising campaigns. BetterHelp allegedly sent mental health data to various platforms, including Facebook and Snapchat. The proposed order marks the first time the FTC obtained damages for health data claims and it contains required data practice corrections.