A new report published by Mozilla’s *Privacy not included The buyer’s guide revealed shocking information about dozens of therapy apps on the market: 28 out of 32 of them are allegedly capitalizing on customer data.
1 in 5 US adults reported struggling with a mental illness in 2020 according to toward National Institute of Mental Health—that’s 52.9 million people. The Mental Health Association found a similar result in its 2022 State of Mental Health in America Report, and further revealed that 27 million American adults with a mental illness are not receiving treatment for it. This number is high, and there are many reasons why people might not seek therapy.
“Some people may avoid accessing care for fear that other people they know will find out that they are seeing a therapist”, Alissa Davis—assistant professor in the Columbia University School of Social Workhe explained to Gizmodo via email. “Other people may have internalized the stigma or may be afraid to admit that they are struggling with mental illness and need additional support.” Davis further cited poor interactions with previous therapists, a shortage of mental health professionals, and the high expenses associated with mental health care as additional obstacles for those seeking therapy.
When mental health apps like BetterHelp and Headspace hit the digital marketplace, they were a beacon of hope in a turbulent landscape: mental health care when you need it, for a relatively cheap price, in the privacy of your own home. But the mental health app bubble may be starting to burst. Axios reports that the digital therapy boom of the last two years, fueled by the existentialism of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, is beginning to worry experts in the field, as apps may not adequately address the needs of their customers.
If that wasn’t enough a new report from Mozilla contains damning information about the safety of these mental health apps. *Mozilla Privacy Not Included is a buyer’s guide intended to provide consumers and businesses with specific information about certain products, services, and applications. In their report on 32 mental health apps, they flagged 28 for not meeting the *Privacy Not Included User security standards. These standards are judged on:
- What does the company do with user data,
- How a user can control their own data,
- The previous trajectory of the company in terms of user data protection, and
- How the company meets Mozilla Minimum security standards.
The list of apps Mozilla reviewed is stratified, with the ones at the top having been deemed “Not creepy!” while the ones below were labeled “Super creepy!” Four applications—Wysa, PTSD Coach, Head spaceY Glorify— were not issued a warning label. Marked Featured Apps Included RAINa chat app for sexual assault survivors and their loved ones that may not protect users’ identities, Calman guided meditation app that allegedly uses your data for targeted ads on other platforms, and king james bible, a daily Bible verse app with a shadowy parent company. Some apps that Mozilla deemed dubious, like Sesame Workshop’s Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame, are even aimed at kids.
“Talk therapy apps like Talkspace and BetterHelp are of concern to us because they collect a lot of personal information in order to match users with a therapist,” *Privacy Not Included lead Jen Caltrider told Gizmodo via email. Caltrider further explained that BetterHelp directs users to an intake questionnaire before they can see any kind of privacy notice. “Where is [the questionnaire] data going? Is it shared only with Better Help? With google? With others?”
BetterHelp, one of the most used therapy apps, is also one of the lowest apps on the list, and its track record is a bit rocky. Notably, in 2018, the app launched an aggressive marketing campaign, in which YouTube personalities like Shane Dawson, Phillip DeFranco and Elle Mills, gave the app recognition as a paid advertisement. Some of youUsers who downloaded the app at the behest of these YouTubers were unhappy with the service and found that best help Terms of Service fixed:
We do not control the quality of Counselor Services and do not determine whether a Counselor is qualified to provide a specific service, or whether a Counselor is properly categorized or matched with you… You agree, confirm and acknowledge that you are aware of the fact that that the Counseling Services are not a complete substitute for an examination and/or face-to-face session by a qualified licensed professional.
best help Terms and consterms they have since been updated and do not include the passages cited.
“While some mental health apps have established secure data protections that comply with HIPAA and other regulatory laws, many mental health apps don’t have these systems in place,” says Davis. “Since mental health apps are unregulated, it can be difficult for people to know which apps have protections in place to ensure their personal data remains secure.”
Mental health apps may have been an attempt to bridge the gap between those with mental illness and proper medical care, but along the way, some they have sacrificed the protection of their users and their data. With access to mental health still a growing problem in the US, there may be a world where apps are a solution, but until properly regulated, they should be treated as nothing more than a crutch.
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