this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2026

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Woman’s Talkspace therapy app sessions exposed in court (www.proofnews.org)

submitted 3 days ago by XLE@piefed.social to c/privacy@programming.dev

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She confessed her worries to her therapist: her marriage, her finances, and self-esteem. Therapists are legally and ethically bound to confidentiality, but two years later, a transcript of every word typed to her psychologist using the app Talkspace was produced in court by her former employer.

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[–] Avicenna@programming.dev 65 points 3 days ago

"as the company’s CEO recently told investors, has amassed “one of the largest mental health data banks in the world,”"

If he is saying this, he is basically pointing out that he is ready to sell this data to the highest bidder under some guise of "we ensure that we respect our clients' privacies and identities will be kept anonymous but the fine print allows us to do this blah blah" bullshit. If that ever happens he and the owner of the company should be jailed no matter what contracts they had people sign.

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 31 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

Good thing that my therapy are in forums and social media--which are free by the way-- where you can be anonymous!

[–] Libb@piefed.social 18 points 2 days ago

– where you can be anonymous!

For now, at least. Legislation, and the legislators behind them, don't seem to move in the right direction in regards of online 'anonymity'.

As for the OP: I completely quit consulting any therapist the day I noticed them using connected apps/online services which happened to also be around the same time I first started hearing people wanting to get rid of confidentiality in the name of, your get it, protecting the children.

My therapist is now my personal journal. Well, technically, it has been my therapist for the last 4 or 5 decades but it is now the only therapist I feel like I can trust.

Sad times we're living in.

[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Tell me more about your therapy in forums and social media.

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Are you trying to phish information to doxx me? /s

I was broadly speaking about venting my frustrations about past experiences using various accounts on various websites. Luckily, the online community I vent in have been understanding. I didn't think it was therapy back then but now, it probably is.

[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 3 points 2 days ago

It was a joke reference to Eliza chatbot.

https://medium.com/@himash0009/eliza-1966-the-first-chatbot-in-history-that-fooled-everyone-b9d910c63919

[+] tidderuuf@lemmy.world -32 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Why would anyone assume that something you are sharing on an app or online service would ever be private?

It even says right there when you agree to the services that they can disclose anything when required by law.

[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 90 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

Why do people like you attack the victim? The company is the monster for burying this stuff in pages-long ToSs in the intentional effort to make these sorts of disclaimers hard to find and understand. Is it because the individual is an easier target to pick on because there's a name and face to this poor woman versus a faceless, evil corporation in the shadows of bits and bytes with no clear antagonist?

Yes, she obviously messed up but the greater blame is always on the data predator, no exceptions—because if they acted ethically (even if it was legal, it was unethical), then this shock wouldn't have happened in the first place.

There is no reason that physically prevents them from putting it in giant, bold-faced font at the top: YOUR DATA WILL BE COLLECTED AND MAY BE USED AGAINST YOU. I've seen some ToSs with formatting in them, so it's totally possible. They should all be required to do this by law. Same with Niantic collecting all the camera pics from Pokémon Go players to eventually train their own AI, and not even returning any cut of the profits. Was it with the millions of players' "consent?" Sure, in legalese, but come on... Your wording suggests that the company is completely in the right, which, pardon my language, comes off as abhorrent when these people are just trying to find help, stress relief, etc. and don't have time to read through dozens of pages when the companies deceptively paint everything else as attractively as possible.

[–] Sualtam@lemmus.org 31 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Don't forget the dystopian American legals system that allows all of that in the first place.

[–] dou9m@lemmy.ca 11 points 3 days ago

When the system’s built to be used most successfully by those who have the most money for it….

[+] tidderuuf@lemmy.world -8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Users are abused by an app
Users know the app is abusive
Users keep using the app

Yes... I do believe there is a bit of victim blaming needed here.

[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Users know the app is abusive

If this was the case, there would have been no shock, though. Have you thought at all, "Huh, yeah, Niantic is clever but also messed up to do this," with Pokémon Go being an AI-training data collector? Why focus only on the hurt, dumb users and ignore the higher body in power?

You know what? What about, "It didn't have to abuse in the first place?" Otherwise you're sounding awfully comfy with capitalism...

[–] tidderuuf@lemmy.world -4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I'm not comfortable with capitalism, but last I checked all the users of xwitter, Facebook, reddit, cigarettes, roblox, TikTok... This app... Are all comfortable with it. So really they should put their money better places than a repeat abuser. Or I don't know maybe vote more for those who will hold the apps accountable instead of those who keep empowering the Epstein class.

[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 7 points 2 days ago

This app

Huh? That's all why we're here across the Lemmyverse, no? We are already smarter than the average person over privacy concerns, sure, but that doesn't make them "dumb." I think it's really unfair to look down on the average citizen versus highly specialized, predatory algos and deceptive services. Or do you think you're scam-proof and everyone who is less has only themselves to blame? I once thought I was, yet have had some near-wakeup calls.

[+] HasturInYellow@lemmy.world -8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This is like a a child being mauled by a rabid dog in the park full of rabid dogs. They were warned about the dogs and have lived their whole life watching others go into the park and being mauled by them. But the park says "no rabid dogs" and having rabid dogs is illegal, so it'll probably be fine.

Who the fuck thought giving sensitive data to a company would result in anything other than that data being sold for profit as the earliest convenience? Genuinely, you would have to be fucking stupid to think that.

Yes that means most people in the world are making great cases for their own stupidity.

[–] lifeinlarkhall@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago

Idk, I'm not in the US but if a therapist was found to break confidentiality or to have possession of information unethically then there'd be a media and political storm on it. Particularly since covid, more therapy and healthcare is conducted online. For some people it may even be the only accessible option.

You are not stupid where I live to expect health organizations to abide by the laws around confidentiality 😅 You would expect health organizations to have the highest secured systems and if they were exposed it would be in a cyber attack from an outside party and the information available for that kind of attack would be limited, de-identified, - it would be an absolute top level scandal, mass class action suit, criminal charges if whole identifiable transcripts of sessions like this were being stored and released in a way that breached the law.

People seeking out therapy are already vulnerable, not stupid. They may be desperate and unfortunately, there are some shitty apps and stuff that DON'T fall under regulations. It's important to make sure you're talking to a real person and the organization is a registered provider ( however that works in various countries) but a person is not stupid for being intentionally preyed on in their vulnerablity and desperation by greedy, unethical people.

[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 30 points 3 days ago (1 children)

If you market yourself as providing Health care, people will naturally expect patient confidentiality laws. If you act otherwise you are being fraudulent

[–] HasturInYellow@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The question remains, who in the fuck is believe a single word of any corporation in this day and age? Regardless of the legality of the matter.

[–] fireweed@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

HIPAA is serious fucking business (or at least, was).

[–] XLE@piefed.social 22 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Flagstaff said it quite well, but the entire US healthcare market is being replaced by a for-profit Wellness industry with no protections

[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 6 points 3 days ago

The healthcare Market has gotten to corrupted by insurance to function correctly, Wellness is taking over as a replacement like an opportunistic infection. Unfortunately there are no standards so this isn't really a viable option and they're basically scamming desperate people with snake oil, but that's what happens when your Healthcare System decays into dysfunction

[–] SailorFuzz@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Lol, "replaced by"?

[–] XLE@piefed.social 2 points 2 days ago

Wellness tech, including hardware applications and websites, are relatively new compared to the (technically regulated) for-profit medicine industry.

[–] dou9m@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago

Pretty much what we always had