Betterhelp

Apparently its been selling peoples therapy information to private companies, if its true im not comfortable trying them out

I haven't heard that, but when I did try it, it seemed very confidential, and if I'm not mistaken, they are required by law to comply with HIPAA privacy regulations.

If you Google Betterhelp selling data there are many results stating they were very recently fined $7.8 million by the FTC - thanks for letting us know Willowtigger.

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-g...tID=3312665728

The petition I got in email earlier

FTC says online counseling service BetterHelp pushed people into handing over health information – and broke its privacy promises | Federal Trade Commission

Please read an article about this issue, as Betterhelp was not found "selling peoples therapy information to private companies."

What they were doing is what too many websites today do -- share your user data with other companies. Specifically, the FTC alleges they "used and revealed consumers’ email addresses, IP addresses, and health questionnaire information to Facebook, Snapchat, Criteo, and Pinterest for advertising purposes."

Most companies only share IP addresses with these kinds of third parties, because IP addresses are generally not considered PHI (protected/personal health information). The other things -- like health questionnaire information -- definitely is.

Betterhelp did not admit or deny the charges against it leveled by the FTC. They said they've "never shared information like “members’ names or clinical data from therapy sessions” with “advertisers, publishers, social media platforms, or any other similar third parties.”"

Learn more here:

BetterHelp shared customer data while promising it was private, says FTC - The Verge

Betterhelp is a very long-time sponsor of this online community. They help fund our ongoing monthly expenses to keep the community online. I know people who've tried the service -- some it's helped, others they didn't care for it. I would be comfortable using Betterhelp myself in the future, even despite this FTC order, because I believe they've helped make mental health services more accessible to more people than face-to-face therapy ever could. You need to judge the service for yourself, though, as it's not for others to tell you whether it's something appropriate or useful for you.

BetterHelp Pays $7.8M in FTC Settlement, Agrees to Stop Sharing Patient Data for Advertising - Behavioral Health Business

if I'm understanding what I read in the link I just posted before seeing your post, it literally says in that link they sold health information, which i taken to mean "this person got disagnosed with X and this one got disagnosed with Y" etc, I do agree with the petition though that even online companies shouldn't be allowed to sell the information of "XYZ person has ABC as a disagnosis" i', sorry if I understood what it said in the links I posted wrong, i'm just saying that's how i understood it and i'm probably wrong

but if a real life company legally can't do something, it should be the same for online companies as well in my opinion

the link i just posted literally says they paid whatever number that is in a settlement 78 million or whatever it said cause i can't do big numbers ?

i just find it alarming that companies are allowed to sell health information

to use a physical example it would be like a company selling the information of "this person who uses our services has a disagnosis of cancers in their bones" (just a example)

all i'm saying is i find it alarming

No company -- online or otherwise -- is allowed to sell such information to third-parties unless the user has given explicit consent for them to do so. Hence the fine and Betterhelp's agreement that, moving forward (this was back in March 2023), they would no longer do this.

Betterhelp no longer engages in these practices. There has been no evidence that their engagement in these deplorable practices resulted in any issues for an individual, since they were doing all of this for "advertising purposes" -- e.g., for them to make more money. It is horrible they were doing this, but am glad to see they have stopped. Talkspace has had similar issues, as have other online companies (including the big ones, like Facebook).

Just thought up something to worry about over this betterhelp thing: will their antics make legal problems for here as well? as in "this forum has a thing at the top of the page about using them, lets arrest this forum as well and put betterhelp and mysupportforums in jail"

although i not sure exactly how a website can get sent to jail, which is the mental image i got .......... ?

That's not how sponsorships work, but appreciate your concern...

Thanks for alerting us Willow. I never clicked on the link on purpose and the 1 or 2 times I did it, it was an accident. I closed the window right away.

IMHO It’s a losing battle keeping our data or activity safe. And the more one is on online, the more of a digital footprint. And that means more possibilities of data being breached or actively tracked. Everyone claims to “value your privacy” yet everyone has a different privacy policy. It is written in legalese pages long that nobody reads. And since so many companies collect data on people and it’s shared with others, it’s hard to keep up with who has what on you. You can opt out of what is shared but there’s always “exceptions” allowed by law.

I got a letter in March from Independent Living Systems, saying there was a breach and my data might have been compromised. I never even heard of them and they aren’t even in my state but with technology, this doesn’t matter now. It’s some kind of third party that partners with hospitals, healthcare providers, assisted living facilities, to name a few. Of course nobody can say how they got my information or why they have it or need it. And this occurred in July of 2022!! Yet the letter didn’t go out until this March. There’s a class action suit against them now.

I know this isn’t about Betterhelp per se but it is about our data or activity online. I do as little as possible online. But more and more we are forced to go online to do stuff. And I think it’s about money. Advertising money or avoiding having to pay humans to make appointments, answer your questions, etc. And you have to log in, which is another username and password to keep safe.

I had to get that out. I’m old enough to remember when your phone number either was listed or unlisted in a printed directory. Now people can find information on you, phone number or whatever online. There was no Do Not Call list since there weren’t a lot of telemarketer calls. Now there’s billions going out daily.

Long rant but I feel better. Our activity is another commodity and it really disturbs me.



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Do Not Call, thats another thing that pisses (excuse the language please) me off - I'm on the do not call list, yet I have to ignore my landline I get so many scam calls despite being on the list

Only reason I keep the landline is cause mobile signal is a piece of crap here - and what if I have a emergency and need to phone the emergency services or the vet? If my phone signal decides nope, without a landline, it could prove fatal (for family nearby if my mum has a medical emergency and cannot get to her phone, I call round daily to see her and make sure everything's okay) and there's also the thing of if I get home from work and Tigger or Willow really need to go into the vet - without a landline I'd be screwed, if phone signal decides nope I'm not going to give you a signal, willowtigger

I haven't yet had it happen with Willow and Tigger, but my Ebony there was a serious danger that I could get home one day and find her on the floor in serious need of going into the vet cause of her health conditions, basically she was expected to die in 2016 but she kept fighting until 2018 when the cancers got her

I'll never forget her last night, she kept walking in circles and had several fits during the night as well, I got her into the vet as soon as I could but my sweetpea never made it home she died in my arms on the vet table cause they couldn't save her cause the aggressive cancers had got her in too many places and they couldn't get to most of the cancers at all cause some of it was in her brain they said

there's honestly nothing I wouldn't give, to be able to go back to when she was still reasonably healthy (she was never completely healthy, but i mean when her illnesses was stable) and find a way to save her, before the cancers ever got into her

willowtigger getting really upset now cause she wants to go back and save Ebony and she cant

Oh Willow dear I’m sorry about your kitty.

The Do Not Call list has exceptions, like charities, political surveys and companies you already do business with. Caveat is scammers will pose as a survey to get your information. And they are now using “real” phone numbers for Caller ID and don’t spoof as much as before! During the last election I got bombarded with calls. They should know better than to call people these days.

I get a lot of scam texts, not many emails. I hate cell phones personally and everyone always wants my email. And they assume my landline is a cell number and try to send a text! Stupid utility did that. “Would you like us to text a link?” NO. I didn’t have a cell phone till 2005 and no smartphone until 2 years ago. It’s just harder and harder not to have online access.

Yeah the cell phone companies think we all have WiFi or a strong signal. I do not. Stupid updates almost weekly which I need WiFi to install!

I keep my landline too and it’s the number I have people call me on. Clear signal and no need to worry about a weak signal or battery. I have a weak signal at home so that’s why I prefer my landline. I don’t get as many unwanted or unknown callers on my landline as my cell! I can screen or block calls on my landline but only up to 10 numbers at a time and only from my service area,

It’s not just telemarketers that violate the Do Not Call list. Of course scammers don’t care about the law and have thousands of numbers at their fingertips. And I remember when the list didn’t exist, yet there were fewer calls.

I’m off topic a bit but still on the subject of our data and activity. You start good threads.

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tbh I'm not over it and I'll never be over it - ever

yeah scammers and spams and crinimals don't care about the law, they'll break whatever law they feel like breaking and cause they can flee to other countries they don't care cause they can position themself in countries that don't follow UK or USA law and break our laws while in the country they have positioned themself in and know that they won't get a knock on the door to drag them to jail

i don't want to go to a jail though

These calls are coming from overseas in some cases but can make it appear as if it’s from here. And those calls about jail unless you pay your taxes or serve on a jury is a scam.

Why would you go to jail? As long as you’re not breaking laws.

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cause murders is wrong and cause I was holding Ebony as she died from the cancers it means its my fault she died

i cant lose Tigger from cancers i already controlled Ebony's cancers trying to get rid of them and making them worse

Tigger maybe got a kidney cancers or a thyroid cancers cause the medication she's on could affect her kidneys and the vet isn't sure if something's happening in her thyroid cause of the whole thing of her wanting to eat all the time and cause i researched the medication Tigger's on i know it can affect her kidneys, plus the vet literally said it could affect her kidneys its not just willowtigger using Vet Google willowtigger getting into a meltdown now