California-based online mental health provider BetterHelp was noted by the Federal Trade Commission to have begun distributing refunds part of the $7.8 million settlement for alleged data privacy violations to nearly 800,000 individuals, reports The Associated Press.
People who have enlisted BetterHelp's services, including those from its Price Counseling, Faithful Counseling, and MyTherapist platforms, from August 2017 to December 2020 will be handed nearly $10 in payments, which could be given through checks, Zelle, or PayPal, according to the FTC.
Despite the settlement, BetterHelp continues to reject the FTC's accusations regarding the disclosure of consumer data, including personal mental health questions, user emails, and IP addresses for advertising. BetterHelp also emphasized that no payments for member information have been received from any third-party organization, saying that it was "deeply committed to the privacy of our members and we value the trust people put in us by using our services."
