Cerebral Privacy Policy

Item: Cerebral
Rating: 18
Author: Privacy.Law Editorial Team

Last updated: November 2024 | Reviewed: February 2026

Online psychiatry platform cited by FTC for sharing sensitive mental health and prescription data with advertising platforms including Meta and Google.

Grade F

FTC Enforcement Action: In 2024, the FTC took action against Cerebral alleging the company shared sensitive mental health data with third-party advertising platforms without user consent. The company was accused of sending information about users' mental health conditions and prescription medications to Meta, TikTok, Google, and other advertising platforms.

Privacy Summary: Cerebral collects extremely sensitive mental health data including psychiatric assessments, therapy notes, prescription history, and controlled substance information. The FTC alleged this data was shared with advertising platforms, representing one of the most serious privacy violations in the mental health app space. Users should consider this history carefully.

Category Scores

Data Collection 12/100

Data Sharing 8/100

Data Retention 20/100

Security Measures 28/100

User Controls 18/100

Key Findings

🔎 Advertising Data Sharing (FTC Violation)

The FTC alleged Cerebral shared sensitive health information with advertising platforms including whether users had completed intake questionnaires, diagnosis information, and prescription details. This data was reportedly sent via tracking pixels.

According to the FTC complaint: "Cerebral used third-party tracking tools that sent sensitive health information about consumers, including the services they sought or received, to third-party advertising platforms."

🔎 Prescription Data Collection

Cerebral collects and stores detailed prescription information including controlled substance prescriptions for medications like Adderall and Xanax. This highly sensitive data was allegedly shared with advertising partners.

"We collect information about medications prescribed through our platform, including controlled substances, dosages, refill history, and prescriber interactions."

🔎 Psychiatric Assessment Data

Cerebral administers psychiatric assessments including PHQ-9 (depression) and GAD-7 (anxiety) questionnaires. These assessment results create detailed mental health profiles that were allegedly shared externally.

"We collect responses to clinical assessments including standardized mental health questionnaires to assist providers in diagnosis and treatment planning."

🔎 AI Analysis of Mental Health Data

Cerebral uses AI and machine learning to analyze user interactions, therapy session patterns, and assessment data. This analysis powers their treatment recommendations and likely their user targeting.

"We use machine learning to analyze user interactions and improve our services, including personalizing treatment recommendations and identifying users who may benefit from additional support."

Data Collection Summary

Data Type	Collected	Risk Level
Psychiatric Diagnoses	Yes	Critical
Prescription Data	Yes	Critical
Controlled Substances	Yes	Critical
Therapy Sessions	Yes	Critical
Mental Health Assessments	Yes	Critical
AI-Analyzed Mood Data	Yes	High

Recommendation

Critical Privacy Risk: Cerebral has demonstrated through regulatory action that it cannot be trusted with sensitive mental health data. The sharing of psychiatric and prescription data with advertising platforms represents a fundamental betrayal of user trust.

For Users: Consider alternative providers for mental health care. If you have used Cerebral, assume your sensitive mental health information may have been shared with advertising platforms and take appropriate precautions.