#Meta

A federal jury in Northern California has found Meta liable for illegally collecting and using highly sensitive reproductive health data from users of the Flo Health period‑tracking app to run targeted advertising, a decision that legal experts say could reshape how consumer health apps handle data worldwide. The verdict held Meta responsible under the California Invasion of Privacy Act and the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act for receiving reproductive and menstrual information sent by the Flo app between 2016 and 2019, and comes after settlements with other defendants and a 2021 Federal Trade Commission action against Flo Health (Fierce Healthcare).

A California federal jury has found Meta liable for secretly harvesting intimate reproductive health data from millions of users worldwide, including Thai users of the Flo Health period-tracking app. The verdict marks a watershed moment for digital health privacy and has broad implications for Thailand’s data protection landscape.

Lead with Impact: The verdict centers on data collected between 2016 and 2019, when Meta allegedly gathered details such as menstrual cycles, pregnancy status, sexual activity, contraception choices, and fertility struggles without explicit consent. This ruling reinforces that reproductive health information requires the highest privacy protection, aligning with Thai cultural emphasis on dignity and modesty in health matters.

In a groundbreaking verdict that sends shockwaves across Asia’s digital health landscape, a California federal jury has held Meta liable for secretly harvesting intimate reproductive health data from millions of women worldwide—including thousands of Thai users of the popular Flo Health period-tracking app.

The Billion-Dollar Privacy Breach That Changed Everything

The landmark ruling emerged from what began as a quiet class action filed by eight women but exploded into a massive legal reckoning involving millions of users across 190 countries, including Thailand. Between 2016 and 2019, Meta systematically collected and exploited the most intimate details of women’s lives: menstrual cycles, pregnancy status, sexual activity, contraceptive choices, and fertility struggles.

A recent podcast appearance by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has sparked a global debate about AI companions. He envisions a near-future where many people’s friends, therapists, and even business aides are artificial intelligence bots integrated into familiar platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. The dialogue now turns to whether AI friends can truly ease loneliness or simply reshape human connections.

As loneliness rises worldwide, Meta markets AI-powered chatbots as virtual confidants, support systems, and entertainment partners. Citing research showing substantial portions of adults feel regularly lonely, the company argues that scalable AI could address disconnection. Meta’s Llama models and a new AI app aim to weave these bots into daily digital life, from casual chats and memes to mental health support and simulated companionship. In this framing, technology promises a practical remedy for social isolation.

Meta Chief Executive Officer’s latest sweeping vision imagines a near-future where most people’s friends—and even therapists or business aides—are artificial intelligence (AI) bots available through familiar platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Mark Zuckerberg’s comments, which came in a May 2025 podcast, have ignited a wide-ranging debate about the promises and perils of AI companions as a solution to the world’s loneliness epidemic, while raising searching questions for Thailand’s digitally savvy population.