Facebook accused of illegally collecting sensitive data of women

(Dan Tri) - A federal jury has ruled that social network Facebook violated the California Invasion of Privacy Act and wiretapping laws.

Accordingly, Facebook is accused of illegally collecting data from an application that tracks women's menstrual cycles without users' consent.

The ruling is the result of a class action lawsuit filed in 2021 against Flo Health, the developer of the Flo app, which tracks menstrual cycles and predicts ovulation to help users get pregnant naturally.

The lawsuit initially also named Google and Facebook as defendants, accusing the two companies of illegally collecting data from the Flo app. However, Flo Health and Google have since reached settlements with the plaintiffs, leaving Facebook as the only remaining defendant in the lawsuit.

Many users are outraged when Facebook collects and uses their private, sensitive data without permission (Illustration: Getty).

According to the lawsuit, Flo Health allowed Google and Facebook to track data and "eavesdrop" on users' private conversations on the Flo app between November 2016 and February 2019.

Through the Flo app, Facebook allegedly collected information about whether users were planning to get pregnant, were pregnant, or simply tracking their periods. Some plaintiffs also said Facebook collected sensitive information such as how often they had sex.

Based on the data collected, Facebook can run content and advertising campaigns tailored to each audience, especially those who are pregnant, intending to become pregnant, or having difficulty conceiving naturally.

Facebook's collection of personal and private data, especially sensitive information such as menstrual cycles or pregnancy plans, has caused great outrage among users because their privacy is seriously violated.

The plaintiffs are seeking compensation from Facebook and its parent company Meta for emotional distress caused by the unauthorized collection and use of their private information. However, the specific amount of compensation has not been disclosed.

"Financial damages have yet to be determined. However, this lawsuit will send a clear message to big tech companies about protecting users' health information. Big companies like Meta must be held accountable when profiting from users' most private information," said Labaton Kaller Sucharow, an attorney representing the plaintiffs.

Meta and Facebook have denied all allegations and said they will appeal the jury's decision.

"We strongly disagree with the verdict and are considering legal action to appeal," a Meta spokesperson said. "User privacy is important to Meta, so we do not use health data or other sensitive information for profit."

Flo currently has more than 70 million users worldwide. The number of users whose data was illegally collected by Meta is still unknown.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/facebook-bi-cao-buoc-thu-thap-trai-phep-du-lieu-nhay-cam-cua-phu-nu-20250807025238442.htm