FTC, California and Utah Sue Hims & Hers Over Subscription and Data Practices
The Federal Trade Commission, together with California and Utah, filed a lawsuit against telehealth firm Hims & Hers Health, accusing it of charging patients for prescription subscriptions without consent and sharing health data with tech firms.
The Federal Trade Commission, joined by California and Utah, has sued Hims & Hers Health, alleging the telehealth provider charged users for prescription subscriptions without proper consent and concealed the cancellation process. According to the complaint filed in the Northern District of California, the company advertised "free" consultations and a $0 upfront fee, yet automatically enrolled patients in recurring billing once a prescription was written.
Consumers reportedly faced early refill charges and struggled to cancel because the option was hidden behind ambiguous wording. The lawsuit further accuses Hims & Hers of transmitting patients' sensitive health details, including conditions like erectile dysfunction and hair loss, to advertising partners such as Meta and Snap, contrary to its privacy assurances. The company responded on X, labeling the claims baseless and vowing to contest the case, while its shares dropped more than 11% after the announcement. The case could set a precedent for how online health services handle billing, cancellations, and data sharing.
Why it matters
The case could reshape consumer-protection standards for telehealth billing and privacy practices.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTAll camps report the FTC lawsuit alleging hidden fees, deceptive subscription practices and unauthorized sharing of health data with Meta and Snap, but left-leaning coverage stresses the FTC’s description of a “troubling mix” of hidden fees and privacy breaches, center coverage details the subscription-consent violations and data-sharing accusations, while right-leaning coverage highlights the “bombshell” nature of the suit and the company’s stock drop.
LEFT
Frames the lawsuit as a troubling mix of hidden fees and unauthorized disclosure of private health data to advertisers.
CENTER
Frames the lawsuit as a consumer-protection action over deceptive subscription practices and illegal transmission of sensitive health information to ad partners.
RIGHT
Frames the lawsuit as a bombshell claim that the company broke privacy promises and engaged in deceptive billing, stressing the negative market reaction.
The left emphasises
- passing users' medical information to third-party advertisers such as Meta and Snap without proper permission
- hidden fees and unauthorized disclosure of private health
The right emphasises
- shared users’ health data with online advertisers despite promising privacy
- deceptive billing and cancellation practices
- stock fell about 12% after the lawsuit
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