<div id="readability-page-1"><div>A San Francisco Jury found on Friday thatMeta had eavesdropped on the users of a popular period-tracking app, Flo.<img height="281" width="500" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/ftcms-3A9ad66a7b-0219-4460-b89e-50987dce97d1_80.jpg/query-aXRvaz1HRkx2aEN4Qg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/ftcms-3A9ad66a7b-0219-4460-b89e-50987dce97d1_80.jpg/query-aXRvaz1HRkx2aEN4Qg"/>The lawsuit, was filed in 2021 byeight womenagainst Flo and a group of other tech companies including Google and Facebook, now known as Meta. The app asked usersabout their sex lives, mental health and dietsbefore guiding them through menstruation and pregnancy. The women, who based their claims on a 2019Wall Street Journalstory and a 2021 FTC investigation, allege that Flo then shared some of that data with the tech giants,SFGATEreports.Google, Flo, and analytics company Flurryall settled with the plaintiffs, however Meta fought through the entire trial and lost.<blockquote>The case against Meta focused on its Facebook software development kit, which Flo added to its app and which is generally used for analytics and advertising services. The women alleged that between June 2016 and February 2019, Flo sent Facebook, through that kit, various records of “Custom App Events” — such as a user clicking a particular button in the “wanting to get pregnant” section of the app.Their complaint also pointed to Facebook’s terms for its business tools, which said the company used so-called “event data” to personalize ads and content.In a 2022 filing, the tech giant admitted that Flo used Facebook’s kit during this period and that the app sent data connected to “App Events.” But Meta denied receiving intimate information about users’ health. -SFGate</blockquote>The jury didn't buy Meta's argument - ruling against them in a unanimous decision, and finding that Flo's users had a reasonable expectation that they weren't being overheard or recorded, and found that Metadid not have consent to eavesdrop or record.The company was found to have violated California's Invasion of Privacy Act.According to a June filing about the case's class-action status,over 3.7 million women in the United States registered for Flo between November 2016 and February 2019- with potential claimants expected to be notified via email and on a case website.Meta toldSFGATEthat the company &#34;vigorously&#34; disagrees with the verdict, and is &#34;exploring all legal options.&#34;&#34;The plaintiffs’ claims against Meta are simply false,&#34; said company spokesman Chris Sgro. &#34;User privacy is important to Meta, which is why we do not want health or other sensitive information and why our terms prohibit developers from sending any.&#34;The plaintiffs, of course, celebrated - with their attorneysMichael Canty and Carol Villegas telling the outlet that the &#34;verdict is a wake-up call to companies that view consent as a formality and transparency as optional.&#34;</div>Loading recommendations...</div>

META

A San Francisco jury found Meta guilty of eavesdropping on users of the period-tracking app Flo, violating California's Invasion of Privacy Act. The lawsuit, filed by eight women, alleged that Flo shared sensitive data with Meta without user consent. While Google and Flo settled, Meta contested the claims but ultimately lost. The jury ruled that users had a reasonable expectation of privacy. Meta plans to appeal, asserting that the plaintiffs' claims are false and emphasizing its commitment to user privacy.

- A San Francisco jury found that Meta eavesdropped on users of the Flo period-tracking app, violating California's Invasion of Privacy Act.  
- The lawsuit, initiated by eight women, claimed Flo shared sensitive data with Meta without user consent, while other tech companies settled.  
- Meta plans to contest the verdict, asserting that user privacy is a priority and denying receipt of intimate health information.

Meta Found Guilty Of Eavesdropping On Period-Tracker App Users: Jury