Jury Rules Meta Violated California Privacy Laws By Quietly Collecting Flo Users’ Menstrual Health Data

A California assemblage has found Meta successful usurpation of authorities personification privateness laws successful a class-action suit brought by users of play search app, Flo, who alleged that nan tech elephantine collected backstage menstrual wellness information without users’ consent and utilized it for ad-tracking purposes.

The plaintiffs, claiming to correspond millions of Flo users, had accused Flo and Meta of collecting backstage wellness data, for illustration their play dates and fertility goals, via Flo’s app without permission, truthful violating California Invasion of Privacy Act.

Filed successful 2021 against Flo, nan suit besides named Meta, Google, and advertisement analytics companies AppFlyers and Flurry, arsenic defendants, though Google settled nan lawsuit successful July, and Flo besides did truthful earlier this month.

“This verdict sends a clear connection astir nan protection of integer wellness information and nan responsibilities of Big Tech,” said Michael P. Canty and Carol C. Villegas, lead proceedings attorneys successful nan case.

“Companies for illustration Meta that covertly profit from users’ astir friendly accusation must beryllium held accountable. Today’s result reinforces nan basal correct to privacy—especially erstwhile it comes to delicate wellness data,” they added.

Meta disagreed pinch nan verdict and said that nan institution ne'er eavesdropped connected Flo users.

“We vigorously disagree pinch this result and are exploring each ineligible options. The plaintiffs’ claims against Meta are simply false. User privateness is important to Meta, which is why we do not want wellness aliases different delicate information, and why our position prohibit developers from sending any,” a institution spokesperson said successful a statement.

Last year, Flo raised $200 cardinal successful Series C backing from General Atlantic astatine a valuation of complete $1 billion.