Meta found liable for privacy breach over Flo app’s health data use

A couple of weeks ago, a California jury ruled that Meta illegally collected menstrual health data from users of the Flo period-tracking app, violating the California Invasion of Privacy Act. The class-action suit, filed in 2021, represented millions of users and claimed that data such as cycle dates and fertility goals was gathered without consent and used for ad tracking. Google settled the case in July, and Flo earlier this month, leaving Meta as the main defendant.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys argued the verdict reinforces the right to privacy and the need to hold tech companies accountable when handling sensitive health information. They highlighted that digital health data deserves strict protection against covert commercial use.

Meta rejected the decision, denying it collected or wanted such data, and noted its policies prohibit developers from sending sensitive information. The company said it is exploring legal options to contest the outcome, which is seen as one of the most significant privacy rulings involving health-tracking apps so far.