See, whenever you’re using a popular health app to record or track your health data, then you of course automatically assume that your information stays private and safe, right? Well, that’s how it should be, but the thing is, with the Flo app these days, things are turning out kinda the opposite. Yes, there is this Flo App Lawsuit going on, and yes, it is a serious one. Why? Well, it turned out that, Flo app was giving away users’ data to private or third-party companies, and that’s the part that was the start of this lawsuit. Let’s see some more details here.
What’s the Flo App All About?
Flo was created with the notion of a secure environment in which to log periods, fertility windows, pregnancy symptoms, or even mood. To use the app requires you to surrender very private information-cycle data, health info, weight, and more. Flo assured that all of this would remain private.
Instead, there was software in the app that, in real time, sent user data to third parties. Who were these third parties? Big names such as Google or Facebook (now Meta). For what purpose? Mostly for advertising. So, Flo, while promising privacy, was in fact doing the opposite.
How Did This End Up in Court?
In 2021, some users filed a lawsuit against Flo in California for sharing their private health information without their consent. In this case titled Frasco v. Flo Health, Inc., the plaintiffs alleged that Flo went against their trust, breached contracts, violated the California privacy laws, and profited from the sale of sensitive information.
The FTC Stepped In
The FTC took some action that same year. They alleged that Flo had deceived consumers by stating that there would be no sharing of data when, in fact, data was being shared. The company was not hit with a hefty fine. However, the FTC did make Flo change its policies and become transparent in the future concerning the handling of user data.
The Settlement Timeline
Here’s how the lawsuit played out:
- March 2025: Flurry, a data analytics company, settled.
- July 2025: Google reached a settlement.
- July 31, 2025: Flo itself agreed to settle after four years in court.
According to some sources, the settlement was to be subjected to between $56 million and $59.5 million by criteria that shall be held valid by September 2025.
Breaking Down the Money
The settlement money looked like this:
- Google: $48 million
- Flo: $8 million
- Flurry: $3.5 million
Between November 2016 and February 2019, if you resided in the U.S. and used the Flo health data input application, you may be entitled to compensation. Because of the state’s stringent privacy laws, California residents can be awarded more. Part of the fee will go to pay attorneys’ fees, court costs, and to the lead plaintiffs; the rest will be distributed to eligible users.
What About Meta?
Meta does not settle cases like the others. How and why? Well, it went to trial, and a California jury found it guilty of violating privacy laws. However, Meta is appealing, so its case is still not resolved.
The Legal Challenges
One of the lawsuits’ arguments was whether Flo can be considered a “health practitioner” under the privacy laws and, if so, the more restrictive medical privacy requirements of California would apply. The judge said that some of the arguments made under these laws were not very strong.
But here comes the super important part: In 2022, California passed a privacy law with a chilling effect on digital mental health data. This means that apps like Flo could very well soon end up with privacy laws more in the spirit of those applicable to healthcare providers, thus increasing restrictions on their misuse of data.
