Since the pandemic, the use of online therapy has skyrocketed. Because it is becoming more popular, many fear their privacy data are in danger.
Back in 2020, Verywell Mind reported that “83% of people say they’re turning to their therapists to talk about the 2020 election, the coronavirus pandemic, racism, the economic recession, and more.”
Companies such as BetterHelp and Talkspace facilitate such communications via phone call and video chat. Since the sole purpose of these apps is to communicate deep and sensitive information, these companies strive to protect clients’ privacy. Though online therapy services are easily accessible compared to in-person therapy, the risk to privacy is higher. For example, in 2020, it was discovered that information from BetterHelp was being shared with Facebook.
Many of these companies claim to have fully secured virtual therapy rooms that protect the client’s privacy, but researchers say otherwise.
“The vast majority of mental health and prayer apps are exceptionally creepy,” project lead for the Mozilla Foundation, Jen Caltrider, told NPR. “These apps track, share, and capitalize on users’ most intimate personal thoughts and feelings, like moods, mental state, and biometric data.”
There are ways to protect your privacy by manually going into settings and disabling certain features. Although these steps could be effective and increase your likelihood of privacy protection, that should be the companies’ main priority. They should not be making you worry about it.
A person goes to therapy mainly to find help and usually would prefer his or her personal issues not be displayed on social media. These service apps are thought to be reliable sources, and if they are not properly securing them, the users are at risk of getting their private information leaked.
“Unfortunately, the lack of stringent regulation of apps such as BetterHelp and Talkspace has forced people into a very difficult choice between obtaining mental health support on the one hand and knowing their privacy will be protected on the other,” John Davisson, director of litigation and senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, told NPR.
Even worse, federal laws that protect personal data do not appear to apply to these mental health apps. If you’re looking for counseling, you might want to find better alternatives.
Esther Wickham is a summer 2022 Washington Examiner fellow.
