‘Alarm bells should be going off’ as mental health counselling app expands into Australia, critics say

Choice says Australia lacks the regulations needed to cover online mental health platforms such as BetterHelp, which has been increasing its Australian advertising on social media and podcasts. Photograph: Cultura Creative (RF)/Alamy

Consumer advocates are calling on the privacy regulator to investigate the “Uber of therapy” platform BetterHelp as it expands in Australia, after a US ruling that the company shared customers’ sensitive data to third parties.

BetterHelp – known to many because it is the second-largest advertiser on podcasts in Australia – claims to offer affordable and flexible online therapy. But experts have warned the commercialisation of healthcare in Australia could compromise patient data and reduce the quality of care that therapists provide when acting as “gig workers”.