Crisis Text Line shares users' mental health data with AI company

US-based mental health non-profit Crisis Text Line (CLT) shared mental health users' confidential data with an AI customer service company, sparking controversy.

Politico discovered customer service company Loris.ai had been using CLT data and insights to develop, market and sell customer service optimisation software, prompting concerns about the non-profit's governance, ethics and transparency, and the commercial nature of the two organisations' relationship.

Volunteers had earlier expressed concerns about CLT's handling of mental health conversations data, with one volunteer starting a Change.org petition pushing CTL “to reform its data ethics.” It also transpired that CLT was a shareholder in Loris.ai and, according to Politico, at one point shared a CEO with the company. 

Under pressure from politicians, regulators, privacy experts and mental health practitioners, CLT ended the practice of sharing conversation data with Loris.

Legal, regulatory 👩🏼‍⚖️

• EPIC (2022). EPIC’s Response to Reports of Crisis Text Line Data Policies

• FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr letter

Research, advocacy 🧮

• Reform Crisis Textline campaign website

• Change.org petition (2022). Ask Crisis Text Line to Reform Its Data Ethics

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/28/suicide-hotline-silicon-valley-privacy-debates-00002617

• https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/31/crisis-text-line-ends-data-sharing-00004001

• https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/31/22906979/crisis-text-line-loris-ai-epic-privacy-mental-health

• https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/suicide-hotline-caught-selling-caller-data/824248/

• https://www.protocol.com/bulletins/crisis-text-line-lorisai

• https://www.popsci.com/technology/crisis-text-line-stops-sharing-data-loris-ai/

• https://mashable.com/article/crisis-text-line-loris-ai