Telehealth Apps Face FTC Scrutiny Over Data Sharing and Doctor Access

Telehealth services promise fast access to medications without visiting a doctor's office. Users fill out online forms and may receive prescriptions within minutes. This convenience has drawn millions since the pandemic began.

However, regulators are raising concerns. The Federal Trade Commission has sued several companies, including Hims & Hers, for what it calls deceptive practices. These include sharing user health data with advertisers and enrolling people in subscriptions that are hard to cancel.

Hims has denied the allegations, calling them a publicity stunt. But the FTC has taken similar action against other telehealth firms like BetterHelp and GoodRx. In those cases, regulators said the companies passed personal health details to tech giants like Google and Meta without clear consent.

One major issue is that federal privacy laws like HIPAA often don't cover these digital health platforms. That leaves a legal gap where sensitive data can be collected and shared with fewer restrictions. Experts say this loophole allows many companies to operate without strict oversight.

Most telehealth visits skip real-time doctor consultations. A study of nearly 50 companies selling weight-loss drugs found fewer than one-third required a live video or phone call with a physician. Many prescriptions were approved almost instantly, with little chance for patients to ask questions or get personalized advice.

Doctors warn this approach misses important safety checks. For example, GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss can cause or worsen eating disorders. Yet only slightly more than half of the websites studied asked about eating disorders during signup. This lack of screening raises red flags for medical professionals.

Consumers should think twice before trusting these apps with personal health information. Without strong privacy rules, data may end up in the hands of marketers or social media platforms. Reading the fine print and asking questions can help protect your privacy and health.