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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).

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.

Groundbreaking research reveals that ordinary smartphones can detect mental health warning signs through everyday behavioral patterns, offering unprecedented opportunities for early intervention in Thailand’s comprehensive mental wellness infrastructure. Scientists from leading American universities tracked 557 adults over fifteen days, discovering that simple daily activities captured by phone sensors—movement patterns, sleep schedules, charging habits—reveal both general psychological risk factors and specific mental health vulnerabilities including social withdrawal and impulsivity. This technological breakthrough arrives at a pivotal moment for Thailand, where digital connectivity reaches extraordinary levels while mental health challenges demand innovative solutions that respect cultural values and privacy rights.

A new peer‑reviewed study in JAMA Network Open reports that everyday signals from smartphone sensors — from how far we move to when we sleep and how often we charge our phones — can reveal broad and specific mental health risks. The research, conducted by teams at the University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, and University of Pittsburgh, followed 557 adults for 15 days and found shared behavioral patterns linked to a general risk dimension across mental illnesses, as well as distinct signatures tied to particular domains like social detachment or impulsivity. With more than nine in ten people in Thailand now online and mobile phones ubiquitous, the findings raise timely questions about how the kingdom could adopt “digital phenotyping” to spot trouble earlier while safeguarding privacy under the Personal Data Protection Act.

Virginia has set a new precedent in reproductive and sexual health privacy, passing a sweeping law that is poised to transform how businesses—far beyond the healthcare sector—handle sensitive consumer data. The move reflects an escalating trend toward increased protection of reproductive health data across the United States, raising important considerations for both American and international entities, including those in Thailand with U.S. business ties.

The new law, known as SB 754, was signed by Virginia’s governor on March 24, 2025, and amends the state’s longstanding Virginia Consumer Protection Act. With an effective date of July 1, 2025, the law expands the definition of “reproductive or sexual health information” well beyond traditional medical records and introduces strict consent requirements for any company classified as a “supplier” participating in consumer transactions within Virginia. This change aligns Virginia with a small but growing group of U.S. states—such as Washington, Nevada, and Connecticut—that have enacted similarly broad consumer health privacy protections. However, experts note Virginia’s law is particularly robust and unusually wide in its business impact (quarles.com).