OAN’s James Meyers
8:06 AM – Friday, May 10, 2024
Almost 800,000 customers of online therapy platform BetterHelp will begin receiving refund notices related to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
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In 2023, BetterHelp agreed to pay $7.8 million to settle FTC charges that it co-opted user data, including personal health questions, for advertising, sharing the customers sensitive info with social media companies like Facebook and Snapchat.
The FTC accused the therapy company of failing to properly obtain consumers’ consent before doing so, BetterHelp did not admit to the charges.
The company issued a statement this week that said it was “deeply committed to the privacy of our members and we value the trust people put in us by using our services.”
Payments will go to those who signed up and paid for services from the BetterHelp website, which also covers offerings on platforms including MyTherapist, Faithful Counseling and Pride Counseling, between August 2017 and December 2020.
According to The Associated Press, the refunds will result in each person receiving just under $10.
Meanwhile, BetterHelp remains a huge sponsor of podcasts. It spent $8.3 million on podcast opportunities in March, which is almost double to the next biggest sponsor, Amazon, according to Magellan AI, a podcast analytics group.
Additionally, BetterHelp is currently owned by Teladoc Health, which is an online medical services group whose share price has dropped significantly as the Covid-19 pandemic has diminished.
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