Civil liberties groups have “deep concerns” with privacy issues in New York City’s free mental telehealth platform for teens — and are now demanding a formal review.
In a letter to Mayor Adams and top health and education officials, the NYCLU and two student privacy organizations warned Tuesday the service, Teenspace, collects comprehensive, personal information on minors. That extends to during the sign-up process — before parents can consent or young people are made aware their data could be used for marketing purposes, said the advocates, including the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy and AI for Families.
“The city gives Teenspace unfettered access to NYC teenage students’ sensitive data,” said Beth Haroules, a senior staff attorney at the NYCLU. “To use the service, Teenspace illegally asks minors for tons of highly personal information — like their address, school, and mental health history — without any protections over the data collection, or clear privacy policies to prevent inappropriate disclosures of information.”
“This is dangerous and raises serious legal concerns,” Haroules added.
Launched at the end of last year, Teenspace is a $26-million partnership between the city’s Health Department and Talkspace, one of the nation’s largest online therapy providers, for those ages 13 to 17.
Because the contract is not with the Education Department, data is collected and used in ways that would not be allowed if subject to student privacy laws, advocates said. For teens to opt out of marketing services, advocates said, they need to go through a cumbersome process to take themselves out of the mix.
Health officials challenged that allegation.
“All services are provided by NYS licensed providers who are subject to the same patient and privacy protections as any other licensed practitioner in the state,” said Rachel Vick, a department spokeswoman.
“The Health Department has taken additional steps to protect the data of Teenspace users and ensure information is not collected for personal gain, including stipulations that require all client data to remain confidential during and after the completion of the city’s contract and barring use of data for any purpose other than providing the services included in the contract.”
An independent evaluation to review the program is in the process of being set up, she added.
Today, 16,000 users have signed up for Teenspace, according to Health Depatment data. Half of a year after its launch, officials touted the platform at a press conference as bringing mental healthcare to teens who otherwise did not have access.
“I’ve had the opportunity of learning about myself and growing as a person,” Ruby Tarquinio, then 17, said during the May event. “Talking with a therapist isn’t simply about finding a fix that doesn’t exist.”
Jon Cohen, its CEO, told reporters the platform was secure and HIPAA-compliant.
