Meta has been found guilty of violating privacy laws after secretly harvesting intimate data from the period-tracking app Flo. A California jury ruled unanimously against the tech giant, citing a clear breach of the California Invasion of Privacy Act.
The case centers around Meta’s use of sensitive data from Flo’s 70 million users. Flo users log personal details like periods, sexual activity, and symptoms. This information was never supposed to leave the app.
Years of Data Abuse Come to Light
The legal battle began in 2020, when the Federal Trade Commission discovered that Flo leaked user data to tech companies without consent. By 2021, a formal complaint revealed that Meta, Google, Flurry, and other firms had been accessing data from the app since 2016.
The complaint stated that Meta collected “Custom App Events” data from Flo. This included deeply personal logs like pregnancy tracking and period start dates. Flo’s own privacy policy had promised not to share such data without user permission.
Flo later settled with the FTC without admitting fault. The agreement required the app to delete shared data, submit to monitoring, and undergo privacy audits. But for many users, that wasn’t enough.
Class-Action Lawsuit Leads to Historic Ruling
In 2021, users filed a class-action lawsuit against Meta and other data partners. Plaintiffs accused them of breaching contracts, violating federal laws, and ignoring medical privacy protections.
Some companies, like Google and Flurry, settled. AppsFlyer was dismissed. Meta denied wrongdoing but remained a defendant. In August 2025, a jury found Meta guilty.
Trial attorneys Michael P. Canty and Carol C. Villegas called the verdict a landmark win. They argued that big tech should not profit from women’s most intimate data.
“This case was about more than just data,” said Villegas. “It was about dignity, trust, and accountability.”
Femtech Market Raises Growing Concerns
The femtech sector is booming, projected to reach $7.5 billion in 2024. These apps offer help during deeply personal life moments—like abortions or fertility tracking. Yet most collect personal data and share it with third parties.
Flo, for example, can track up to 15 data points, including purchase history and location. Cybernews research showed the app shares this data with partners like Pinterest, Google Ads, Apple Search Ads, and Meta’s own ad platforms.
Legal and Ethical Risks Continue to Mount
A European survey found that 90% of women’s health apps shared user data. Over 60% tracked location. In the worst cases, authorities could exploit the data to prosecute women under strict abortion laws.
Privacy advocates warn that femtech apps have become risky tools. While helpful on the surface, they may expose users to legal harm and targeted advertising without their full understanding.
Conclusion
The Meta privacy violation ruling marks a critical shift in digital health accountability. It highlights how deeply personal data—especially from women—can be exploited when companies prioritize profit over privacy. With the femtech market still expanding, stronger protections are now more urgent than ever.
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