Five US states join FTC lawsuit alleging Hims & Hers engaged in unlawful privacy practices

WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Five US states have joined the Federal Trade Commission in a lawsuit that alleges telehealth company Hims & Hers Health HIMS.N engaged in deceptive and unlawful privacy practices, the FTC said on Tuesday.

• The lawsuit alleged that the company shared consumers' sensitive health information with third-party advertising platforms, despite claiming its services maintain consumers' privacy, and it deceived users about its billing and cancellation practices, according to the FTC.

• The amended complaint filed by the FTC now includes Arizona, Florida, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin, the FTC said in a statement.

• The original FTC lawsuit in July was filed along with Los ⁠Angeles County and Utah.

• The amended complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

• Hims & Hers is one of ​the largest telehealth players in the market for weight-loss drugs.

• The company offers telehealth appointments and prescriptions for erectile dysfunction, hair loss and mental health medications, which ​it ships straight to customers.

• "We will vigorously defend ourselves against these follow-on claims, which rely on the same flawed allegations advanced in the government’s lawsuit," a Hims & Hers spokesperson said on Tuesday.

• The FTC and its initial state partners first alleged in July that the company misled consumers about keeping their health information private and has shared consumers' health information with Meta Platforms META.O, Snap SNAP.N and other third parties.