Flo Health Reaches Settlement in U.S. Data Privacy Lawsuit
Period-tracking app Flo Health has reached a settlement in a U.S. class action lawsuit that alleged the company improperly shared sensitive user data with third parties, including tech giant Meta.
Founded in 2015, Flo offers users tools to track menstrual cycles, monitor symptoms, and access personalised health insights around pregnancy and perimenopause. In 2023, the company became Europe’s first femtech unicorn following a $200 million funding round led by General Atlantic.
The legal proceedings, which began earlier this week in San Francisco, involved five plaintiffs who claimed their reproductive health data — including the timing and duration of their menstrual cycles — was shared without consent. Both Flo and Meta denied the allegations, with Meta also asserting it never received sensitive menstrual data.
On Thursday, a Flo spokesperson confirmed that a settlement had been reached after the presiding judge acknowledged that a lack of concrete evidence posed a significant challenge to the plaintiffs’ case.
“We have consistently maintained that these claims were without merit,” said the spokesperson. “As the case unfolded, the absence of supporting evidence became increasingly apparent in court.”
“This settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing. Our focus remains on serving our users and continuing our mission to advance the future of women’s health.”
The case originated in 2021 following a separate settlement between Flo and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which had previously raised concerns over the company’s data-sharing practices with third-party advertisers. At that time, Flo denied wrongdoing and stated that the agreement was made to avoid prolonged litigation.
Flo has since introduced a range of privacy measures, including Anonymous Mode, designed to enhance user control over personal health data.
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