HeHealth's two STI-detecting apps were shut down after the FTC launched an investigation into the company
The AI digital health startup HeHealth has shut down two apps that it claimed could diagnose sexually transmitted infections (STIs) from photos of penises sent by users, after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched an investigation into the company.
In a letter to HeHealth dated July 11, the FTC said it had issued a civil investigative demand to the company in June due concerns related to company’s advertising claims and privacy practices.
The letter specifically highlighted concerns regarding the company’s Calmara app, which launched in March 2024 and was targeted to users who wanted “clarity” on their partners’ STI status.
“FTC staff had concerns that the company’s marketing materials may have overstated the extent to which Calmara could detect STIs,” the letter said.
HeHealth, a Singapore-based startup, was founded in 2022 by Mei-Ling Lu and Yudara Kularathne. They claimed their AI model could detect more than 10 STIs.
But the FTC took issue with that claim.
The regulator said HeHealth’s principal study backing up its claims conceded that it used data to train its AI model with images from people who never took diagnostic tests to confirm they had an STI. The FTC also said the model was tested on a small number images and that four of the five authors of the study worked for HeHealth or were paid by consultants. Finally, the study said that the model was trained and assessed to detect four STIs, despite the company claiming it could detect more than 10.
Additionally, the FTC sought information regarding the company’s privacy practices “given the sensitivity of the images” and its advertising claims about “maintaining anonymity” of the people whose photos were uploaded on the app.
The FTC also notified HeHealth that it’s illegal to make claims relating to health benefits without reliable scientific evidence.
In response to the probe, HeHealth shut down both apps in July, issued refunds to U.S. customers, and deleted all user information.
While the apps have been shut down, the company’s website and YouTube channel are still online.
STAT reported that Lu said in a LinkedIn post this month that the company’s challenges were due to a “decline in curiosity.”
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