Period-tracking app Flo Health has agreed a settlement after a US class action lawsuit accused the healthtech of wrongfully sharing data with tech giant Meta.
Founded in 2015, Flo’s platform allows users to track period cycles and monitor symptoms, as well as providing them with tailored health insights and educational content around pregnancy and perimenopause. The startup became Europe’s first femtech unicorn when it raised $200m last year in a round led by US investor General Atlantic.
The data privacy case, which began in San Francisco on Monday, involved five named claimants who argued they never gave permission for their data — including the dates and lengths of their periods — to be shared with Meta, which is also on trial. Flo denied all of the claims, while Meta likewise denied it received any sensitive menstrual data.
On Thursday a Flo spokesperson confirmed the company had agreed to settle the case, after the judge presiding over the trial said a lack of evidence for the plaintiffs' claims posed an "insurmountable" problem.
“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,” a Flo spokesperson said.
“Importantly, this settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing. We can now put the matter behind us so we can continue to focus on serving our customers and delivering our mission to advance the future of women’s health.”
The dispute began in 2021, when a number of Flo’s users filed a suit against the healthtech, Google and Meta, following a settlement between Flo and the US Federal Trade Commission, when allegations the company shared health information with third-party advertising companies without permission first emerged.
Flo denied this was the case, saying it had agreed to settle the matter to “avoid the time and cost associated with litigation”.
