The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) just dropped a lawsuit against Hims & Hers for selling user privacy short. The telehealth provider allegedly shared sensitive health data with Meta, Snap, and other advertising giants, despite promising strict privacy to its 2.6 million active users.
The FTC’s complaint, filed August 1, 2026, exposes how Hims & Hers embedded tiny trackers—pixels—from Meta, Snap, Microsoft, Pinterest, Reddit, and X on its website. These trackers collected and transmitted health details about users seeking prescriptions for sexual wellness, mental health, and weight loss.
Users thought their medical info was locked down. Instead, advertisers got a full play-by-play of clicks and actions. The FTC said Hims & Hers prioritized profits over privacy, charging users for prescriptions before consultations and making cancellations needlessly difficult.
Hims & Hers shares plunged about 12% after the suit became public. The company disclosed a probable $15 million loss tied to these allegations in May. Their defense? The privacy policy offers users control over data use—a claim the FTC disputes, calling it a cover for “depriving consumers of choice.”
Christopher Mufarrige, FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection director, stated bluntly, “The FTC will not hesitate to act on behalf of consumers deprived of their ability to choose which products they want and whether to keep their most sensitive health information private.”
The FTC’s investigation began in October 2023 and stretched nearly three years. Los Angeles County and Utah joined the lawsuit, amplifying the push against Hims & Hers’s practices. Meanwhile, Meta faces separate lawsuits accusing it of ignoring internal research on Instagram’s harm to teenagers.
One Tennessee lawsuit claims Meta prioritized profits over child safety despite knowing Instagram’s links to eating disorders and self-harm. Meta insists it studies these harms and invests in tools to reduce problematic use.
Hims & Hers dismissed the FTC’s claims as an attempt to “generate headlines at our expense,” calling the enforcement effort a distortion that “disregards substantial evidence” and “contorts the law.”
This legal clash exposes a troubling trend: companies marketing sensitive health services while quietly funneling user data to advertising platforms. The fallout may reshape how telehealth apps handle privacy—if regulators hold firm.
Based on
- FTC Concerned About Meta Surveillance of Users of Erectile Dysfunction Apps — futurism.com
- FTC sues Hims & Hers for sharing sensitive user health data with Meta and Snap | The Independent — independent.co.uk
- FTC sues Hims and Hers, stock falls — cnbc.com
- FTC sues Hims & Hers for allegedly sharing patients’ medical data with advertisers Meta and Snap | TechCrunch — techcrunch.com
- Lawsuit claims Meta ignored own research about addictive social media features | The Independent — independent.co.uk
