CALIFORNIA — Flo Health Inc., developer of the popular period and ovulation tracking app, and Google have agreed to pay $56 million to settle a class-action lawsuit.

The proposed settlement covers U.S. users who used the Flo app between November 2016 and February 2019.

The case alleges Flo Health shared users’ sensitive reproductive and health data with third parties — including Google and Facebook, despite promising strict privacy protections.

The settlement, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, resolves claims that Flo violated state privacy laws.

Plaintiffs alleged the company shared personally identifiable health information for marketing and analytics purposes without user consent.

They said the data was used to help advertisers target users based on menstrual, sexual activity, and pregnancy information.

As part of the combined $56 million settlement, Google will pay $48 million, while Flo Health will contribute $8 million.

Payments will vary depending on the number of valid claims filed.

FTC investigation

The company first came under regulatory scrutiny, in 2020, when the Federal Trade Commission accused it of deceptive data-sharing practices. 

According to the FTC complaint, Flo promised to keep users’ health data private but transmitted it to tech companies to optimize user engagement and advertising. 

In its settlement with the FTC, Flo was barred from misrepresenting how it collects, uses, or shares personal information, or the extent to which users can control their data.

The class action built on those findings. It alleged that Flo’s sharing of user data constituted unfair and deceptive business practices under California law. 

Company admits no wrongdoing

Flo counts more than 165 million downloads and 38 million active users worldwide. It denied wrongdoing but agreed to the multi-million-dollar payout to avoid further litigation. 

“We have always maintained that the claims lacked merit, and as the case progressed, the lack of evidence to support these allegations became increasingly clear in court,” Flo Heath said.

The company added that it will continue focusing on serving customers and advancing its mission to improve women’s health.

For more information about the settlement visit https://periodtrackerdataprivacylitigation.com/home/