Meta has been found guilty of violating California's Invasion of Privacy Act by using data from the Flo app to enhance its advertising strategy. The jury's unanimous decision marks a significant moment in the fight for digital privacy rights. Flo, with roughly 70 million users, was sharing sensitive health information with Meta without user consent. Following reports of this data usage in 2019, the FTC initiated an investigation, leading to a complaint against Meta and others for misuse of private data. Despite settling with the FTC, a class-action lawsuit emerged from outraged users, highlighting profound concerns over privacy violations.
Flo has a user base of approximately 70 million monthly users, tracking period cycles, ovulation, sexual activity, and health issues if users input that data.
The Federal Trade Commission investigated Flo's data sharing with Meta in 2020, resulting in a formal complaint in 2021, indicating unauthorized data use since 2016.
The jury's verdict against Meta serves as a warning to companies that treat consent casually and avoid transparency regarding user data.
Flo settled with the FTC without admitting guilt, agreeing to have third parties destroy user data and comply legally for five years.
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