WASHINGTON WSJ —The Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement with Flo Health Inc., the developer of a widely used period and fertility-tracking app, over allegations that it improperly shared personal data with Facebook and others, including whether users were ovulating.

The data shared by Flo Health often allowed online ads to be targeted to those users, despite Flo Health’s promises that the information would be kept private, The Wall Street Journal found in a 2019 article.

The FTC’s vote on the proposed settlement was 5-0, the agency said Wednesday. The proposed settlement with the FTC, if it becomes final following public comment, would require Flo Health to obtain an independent review of its privacy practices and get users’ consent before sharing their health information, the agency said. The company also must notify consumers of the FTC charges that it shared consumers’ personal information without their consent, commissioners said.

In a statement, a Flo spokesperson said the company cooperated with the FTC, adding, “We are committed to ensuring that the privacy of our users’ personal health data is absolutely paramount.”

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Yesterday, plane spotters in the greater Los Angeles area caught glimpses of three mysterious Bell 407 helicopters painted overall in what looks to be a dark gray color, but with no easily identifiable markings. Covered in antennas that one might expect to see on examples in use by military or law enforcement units, but unlike any we at The War Zone are familiar with, the sightings immediately caught our attention. While we don’t know for sure who is operating them or for what purpose, these helicopters appear to have a very unusual history and there are solid indications that they could be associated with a very secretive U.S. military aviation unit.

Chris Shaw of Shaw’s Aviation Photography was among the first to spot the trio as they arrived at Bob Hope Airport, also known as Hollywood Burbank Airport or KBUR, which is situated just north of Los Angeles, on Jan. 12, 2021. Later that day, plane spotter Scott Lowe caught a glimpse of two of the helicopters leaving that airport.

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