Flo Health Lawsuit: The Period-Tracker Data-Sharing Case

What Happened

Flo Health makes one of the most widely used period- and fertility-tracking apps, where millions of women log deeply personal information — menstrual cycles, pregnancy intentions and symptoms. Regulators and plaintiffs alleged that, despite promising to keep this data private, Flo shared sensitive information with third parties including Facebook and Google, for example through analytics software embedded in the app, so that an event like marking a pregnancy could be transmitted to outside companies. Flo reportedly did not stop until the practice was exposed by news reporting.

Reproductive-health data is among the most sensitive information a person can share, which is what made the alleged disclosures so serious.

The FTC and Class Settlements

The Federal Trade Commission took action, and Flo settled in 2021 — agreeing to get users’ consent before sharing health data, to notify affected users, and to have third parties destroy improperly shared data. Separately, a class-action settlement of about $59.5 million was reached with Flo and other companies involved in receiving the data, resolving claims under federal and California privacy laws. Notably, one major company named in the broader litigation did not settle and contested the claims at trial, showing how these data cases can splinter among defendants.

As with other privacy cases, the practice changes — real consent before sharing — are as important as the money.

What Users Should Know

If you use any health app, review its privacy settings and data-sharing disclosures, and be aware that “free” apps sometimes monetize data. For especially sensitive tracking, consider apps that store data locally on your device and limit third-party sharing. This case helped push the femtech industry toward clearer consent, but the responsibility to check what an app does with your data still falls partly on the user.