Health Law Daily Wrap Up, HIPAA—N.D. Cal.: FTC, States Sue Hims & Hers Over Privacy, Consumer Protection Violations, (Jul 30, 2026)
Organizations Mentioned:Bureau of Consumer Protection | Snap, Inc. | West Oaks Venture, LLC
By Tom Leithauser
Telehealth provider Hims & Hers Health, Inc., violated patients’ privacy by sharing health data with social media platforms despite promising customers it would keep their data private, according to a lawsuit filed today by the Federal Trade Commission and the states of California and Utah.
“Despite promising privacy and discretion, Hims shared consumers’ sensitive health information with third-party advertising companies and platforms (‘Advertising Platforms’) such as Meta Platforms, Inc. (‘Meta’) and Snap Inc. (‘Snap’),” according to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
“During this time period, Hims did not clearly and conspicuously disclose to consumers that it would share their health information with Advertising Platforms,” it says.
The lawsuit alleges violations of the FTC Act, state consumer protection laws, and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, which prohibits deceptive billing and subscription practices.
“The FTC’s complaint lays out a troubling scenario—consumers unknowingly locked into recurring subscriptions and the disclosure to third parties of consumers’ most private health information without their consent,” Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a news release.
The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and an injunction to prevent future violations.
Hims & Hers disputed the allegations in the lawsuit, posting on social media that the complaint “disregards substantial evidence we provided the FTC during its nearly three-year investigation, ignores established state laws and industry standards in telehealth, and contorts the law to try to manufacture claims.”
“This is not enforcement grounded in consumer protection; it is an effort to generate headlines at our expense,” the post added. “We are confident in our position and will vigorously defend ourselves against these baseless claims.”—Tom Leithauser, [email protected]
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