Blog Post

By: Christian W. Bleakley

The rise of fantasy sports platforms like PrizePicks has transformed sports gambling into an almost effortless experience. With sleek apps, instant payouts, and constant promotions, these platforms attract millions of users across the United States. Yet beneath the appearance of a fun and skill-based game lies a central legal question: Are daily fantasy sports (“DFS”) genuine games of skill or merely disguised forms of illegal gambling?

That debate sharpened in June 2025, when California residents Justin Franks and Jack Bacigalupi sued SidePrize LLC, the operator of PrizePicks. [1] They alleged that its “Pick ’Em” contests, marketed as lawful fantasy sports, were actually illegal gambling operations. [2] The complaint emphasized design features—short contests, real-time tracking, and targeted advertising—that encourage repeated play and financial loss. [3] What appears to be innovation, plaintiffs argue, is actually digital manipulation.

In July 2025, Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a legal opinion declaring both “Pick ’Em” and traditional DFS contests constitute illegal sports wagering under California Penal Code § 337a. [4] He rejected industry arguments that DFS is legal because it involves skill, stating that California law defines a wager as any agreement based on an uncertain future event, even when skill is involved.[5] Bonta’s opinion, requested by state lawmakers, has already prompted talk of future legislation to clarify the status of DFS in California. [6] This legal opinion signifies that fantasy sports platforms may no longer be able to hide behind the mere argument of “skill” to avoid California gambling laws. 

The scale of PrizePicks’ marketing underscores the stakes. The lawsuit alleges the company spends over $100 million annually on advertising, particularly targeting California, the nation’s largest DFS market. [7] By leveraging algorithms to micro-target users on social media, PrizePicks delivers personalized ads that encourage frequent play. [8] This creates a gambling environment that is seamless yet highly individualized, raising serious concerns about consumer vulnerability in a digital marketplace.

Unlike traditional fantasy leagues, which span seasons and foster social interaction, PrizePicks’ contests often last just hours, offering instant results and cashouts. [9] With push notifications and gamified interfaces, the apps operate more like slot machines than weekend fantasy football. [10] Critics argue these tools accelerate cycles of risk and loss, intensifying exposure to financial harm.

California’s stance may influence other states. Even after voters rejected sports betting propositions in 2022, DFS operators continued to function largely unchecked in the state. [11]Now, the combination of the Franks lawsuit and the Attorney General’s opinion suggests regulators are no longer willing to let technology outpace the law. If other states adopt similar interpretations, companies like PrizePicks may be forced to obtain gambling licenses or withdraw from major markets.

The future of DFS apps ultimately depends on how courts and regulators strike a balance between innovation and consumer protection. Algorithms, micro-targeting, and gamification have redefined how people engage with fantasy sports, but they also magnify risks. Without consistent oversight, the promise of “easy money” may continue to harm consumers through manipulative marketing tactics.

[1] Elaine Briseño, Calif. Residents Sue Over ‘Pick ‘Em’ Fantasy Sports Contest, Law360 (June 13, 2025), https://www.law360.com/articles/2352918.

[2] Id.

[3] Id.

[4] Cal. Pen. Code § 337a; Carlos E. Castañeda, Daily Fantasy Sports Betting is Illegal in California, Attorney General Rob Bonta Says, CBS San Fran. (July 4, 2025), https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/california-daily-fantasy-sports-betting-illegal-attorney-general-bonta/. 

[5] Castañeda, supra note 4.

[6] Id.

[7] Briseño, supra note 1.

[8] Id.

[9] Id.

[10] Id.

[11] Id.

By: Chelsea Lee-Sam

Search for “hypnosis for anxiety,” and thousands of videos appear, each promising deep calm and emotional transformation in under 30 minutes. [2] Soothing voices promise to cure depression, eliminate phobias, and heal trauma–often uploaded by creators with zero mental health credentials. [3] As Americans increasingly turn to digital platforms for mental health support, a troubling regulatory gap has emerged: unlicensed practitioners are providing psychological interventions to vulnerable audiences with virtually no oversight. [4]

Hypnotherapy occupies a legal gray area. “Hypnotherapist” holds federal recognition as an occupational category in the United States. [5] In most U.S. states as of 2026, hypnosis may be practiced without a license so long as it remains within non-therapeutic boundaries.[6] Only Connecticut and Washington require mandatory registration, nevertheless even these states demand no formal education. [7] Unlicensed practitioners are advised not to use terms like “therapy,” “treatment,” “healing,” or “clinical” in their advertising. [8] However, YouTube has no mechanism to enforce these restrictions. [9] This creates a perfect storm of potential harm. YouTube hypnotherapy operates on a one-size-fits-all model with no screening for contraindications where hypnosis can trigger adverse reactions, including epilepsy and asthma. [10]

Documented Harms and Safety Concerns

The risks are not merely theoretical. In 2012, George Kenney, former principal of North Port High School in Sarasota, Florida, pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges for practicing therapeutic hypnosis without a license. [11] Kenney revealed that he had hypnotized as many as seventy students, faculty, and staff over five years, all without a state license, despite receiving at least three warnings from supervisors to stop the sessions.[12] Three students whom Kenney had hypnotized died within days of hypnosis: two by suicide and one in a car crash. [13] The school board ultimately accepted a settlement of $200,000 to each of the three families for wrongful death lawsuits due to the parents’ concerns about establishing a causal link between the hypnosis and the deaths. [14]

Beyond individual cases of harm, broader legal action recognizes YouTube’s role in mental health crises. In October 2024, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin sued YouTube and its parent company Alphabet, alleging the platform was “made deliberately addictive” and fueling a mental health crisis among youth. [15] The lawsuit, which remains pending, was filed under Arkansas’s deceptive trade practices and public nuisance laws and claims that “YouTube amplifies harmful material, doses users with dopamine hits, and drives youth engagement and advertising revenue,” resulting in the state spending millions on expanded mental health services for young people.[16] This lawsuit addresses YouTube’s algorithmic design rather than specific hypnosis content. However, it underscores growing recognition that platforms bear responsibility for mental health harms, a principle that should extend to unregulated therapeutic content like hypnotherapy videos.

The absence of physical presence makes it more challenging for practitioners to accurately evaluate clients’ conditions and provide appropriate therapeutic interventions.[17] Professional literature cautions against using hypnosis with clients suffering from severe psychiatric disorders or those under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and advises that care must be taken with clients who have asthma, epilepsy, or narcolepsy, as hypnosis may in rare cases exacerbate these conditions. [18]Many YouTube hypnosis videos, however, fail to include these critical warnings.[19] Most troublingly, these videos may encourage self-medication as a substitute for professional mental health treatment, delaying or preventing individuals from seeking appropriate care for serious conditions. [20]

Platform Liability and the Section 230 Shield

YouTube, protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, currently provides “too much power over consumers.” [21] Although Section 230 is here to stay, states beginning to regulate social media platforms for mental health harms, may begin shift laws and accountability. [22] In 2025, Minnesota enacted legislation requiring social media platforms to display mental health warning labels, with the law taking effect in July 2026. [23] California has passed similar measures addressing mental health impacts of social media use. [24] While these laws focus on social media’s addictive features rather than specific therapeutic content, they signal growing recognition that platforms bear some responsibility for mental health impacts.

The question becomes: should platforms like YouTube have a duty to screen or label mental health content, particularly therapeutic interventions like hypnosis? Current law treats a hypnotherapy video the same as any other user-generated content, despite its unique risks. [25] As courts and legislatures grapple with AI chatbot liability for mental health harms, YouTube hypnotherapy presents a parallel concern largely unaddressed by platform policies and legal frameworks. [26]

The Path Forward

YouTube hypnotherapy reveals how technology has outpaced our legal frameworks for protecting mental health consumers. [27] States could modernize scope-of-practice laws to explicitly address digital distribution of therapeutic content. Connecticut’s registration requirement and Regulatory Agency provides one model that could be adapted to require disclosure of qualifications for online content creators. [28]

Platforms could implement content warnings for videos claiming therapeutic effects, similar to emerging mental health warning label requirements. While YouTube’s existing Medical Misinformation Policy addresses inherently dangerous treatments, it could require disclaimers on mental health content created by unlicensed individuals, alerting viewers that the creator is not a licensed mental health professional. [29] Professional organizations could develop certification programs for digital mental health content creators, giving consumers a way to identify credible sources. California’s Business and Professions Code, which exempts persons using hypnotic techniques from psychology licensing requirements only when limited to vocational or avocational self-improvement, suggests another approach: distinguishing between entertainment and therapeutic claims. [30]

The goal should not be to eliminate access to complementary wellness resources but to ensure that vulnerable individuals seeking mental health support can distinguish between legitimate therapeutic tools and potentially harmful content created by unqualified practitioners. As mental health care increasingly moves online, our legal system must evolve to protect consumers in this digital landscape. The wild west of YouTube hypnotherapy demands thoughtful regulation that balances innovation, access, and consumer protection before more people are harmed by unlicensed practice hiding behind a screen.

[1] Getting Help: The Remarkable Benefits of Online Hypnotherapy, Hypnotherapy Directory (Aug. 21, 2023), https://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/articles/getting-help-the-remarkable-benefits-of-online-hypnotherapy.

[2]The Pros and Cons of Using YouTube Hypnotherapy for Anxiety Relief, Silicon Valley Hypnosis Center (Aug. 11, 2025), https://siliconvalleyhypnosiscenter.com/pros-and-cons-of-using-youtube-hypnotherapy-for-anxiety-relief/ [hereinafter YouTube Hypnotherapy].

[3]The Hidden Risks of YouTube Hypnosis Videos, Quina Baterna (Aug. 17, 2020), https://www.quinabaterna.com/the-hidden-risks-of-youtube-hypnosis-videos/ (noting YouTube hypnosis categories include “Emotional Regulation – Relieve Depression & Anxiety…” and treating phobias); YouTube Hypnotherapy, supra note 1 (“Unlike certified hypnotherapists, YouTubers don’t need credentials to publish content. That means you might encounter outdated techniques, inaccurate claims, or content that’s more ‘influencer’ than therapeutic.”).

[4] Mind Matters 2025: What Ipsos Research Reveals About Changing Attitudes to Mental Health in North America, Ipsos Isay, https://www.ipsosisay.com/en-us/article/mental-health-trends-2025-north-america (noting that in 2025, 32% of Americans reported using apps, online therapy, or digital platforms to manage their wellbeing, a jump of nearly 10 percentage points since 2023); Mental Health Statistics in the US 2025 | Key Facts , THE WORLD DATA (Sept. 18, 2025), https://theworlddata.com/mental-health-statistics-in-the-us/ (reporting over 20 million Americans now regularly use remote mental health services).

[5] IAIH Hypnosis Law Reference and Compliance Guide — 2026 Edition, Int’l Ass’n of Interpersonal Hypnotherapists, at 8 (Jan. 2026), https://instituteofhypnotherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IAIH_Hypnosis_Law_Reference_2026.pdf (citing U.S. Department of Labor, Standard Occupational Classification Code 29- 1199.01).

[6] Id. at 8.

 [7] Id. at 10,11.

[8] Id. at 8.

[9] Medical Misinformation Policy, YouTube Help, https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/13813322 (last visited Jan. 24, 2026).

[10] Do YouTube Hypnosis Videos Work? A Hypnotherapist Explains, 1stDrive, https://www.1stdrive.com/do-youtube-hypnosis-videos-work/ (last visited Jan. 24, 2026).

[11] Lawsuits Settled for $600,000 for Families of Three Teens Who Died After Being Hypnotized by School Principal, D’Amore Law Group https://damorelaw.com/lawsuits-settled-600000-families-teens-died-hypnotized-school-principal/  (last visited Jan. 24, 2026).

[12] Florida Schools Settle With Parents of Teens Who Died After Hypnosis, Nbc News (Oct. 7, 2015, 7:54 PM), https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-schools-settle-parents-three-teens-who-died-after-hypnosis-n440556. 

[13] Lawsuits Settled for $600,000, supra note 10.

[14]Hypnotic Suggestion: North Port High School and the Complicity of Indifference, Pullman & Comley LLC (Oct. 29, 2015), https://www.pullcom.com/education-law-notes/hypnotic-suggestion-north-port-high-school-and-the-complicity-of-indifference.

[15] State of Arkansas v. Google LLC and Alphabet Inc., No. 60CV-24-6237 (Ark. Cir. Ct. filed Oct. 1, 2024).

[16]Arkansas Sued YouTube for Fueling a Mental Health Crisis, Fast Company (Oct. 1, 2024), https://www.fastcompany.com/91200705/state-suing-youtube-fueling-mental-health-crisis.

 [17]The Legality of Online Hypnotherapy: What You Need to Know, The Hypnotechs Blog (June 19, 2023), https://blog.hypnotechs.com/posts/online-legality.

[18]Contraindications to Hypnosis? Adam Eason (Nov. 28, 2007), https://www.adam-eason.com/contraindications-to-hypnosis/ (citing S. Palmer & W. Dryden, Fast Counselling for Stress Problems (1995)).

[19]Do YouTube Hypnosis Videos Work?, supra note 9. (“You shouldn’t use hypnosis if you have a history of mental illness. If you have epilepsy or asthma then hypnosis can trigger an attack. Many hypnosis tracks I have used don’t even mention these things.”).

[20]YouTube Hypnotherapy, supra note 1.

[21] Section 230: An Overview, CONGRESS.GOV (2021), https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R46751; The Future of Section 230: What Does It Mean for Consumers?, The Nat’l Ass’n of Att’ys Gen. (July 21, 2023), https://www.naag.org/attorney-general-journal/the-future-of-section-230-what-does-it-mean-for-consumers/.

[22]Id.

[23]H.F. 1289, § 1, 94th Leg. (Minn. 2025); Mental Health Warnings on Social Media? Minnesota Will Require Them Next Year, NPR  (July 28, 2025), https://www.npr.org/2025/07/28/nx-s1-5481822/social-media-mental-health-warning.

[24] IAIH Hypnosis Law Reference and Compliance Guide, supra note 4, at 13.

[25]Section 230, supra note 21; The Future of Section 230, supra note 21.

[26]Novel Lawsuits Allege AI Chatbots Encouraged Minors’ Suicides, Mental Health Trauma, The Nat’l L. Rev.  (Oct. 7, 2025), https://natlawreview.com/article/novel-lawsuits-allege-ai-chatbots-encouraged-minors-suicides-mental-health-trauma.

[27]Social Media and Youth Mental Health: Scoping Review of Platform and Policy Recommendations, JMIR Pubs. (June, 20 2025), https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e72061. 

[28] Hypnosis Requirements by State, Cascade Hypnosis Training, https://cascadehypnosistraining.com/hypnosis-requirements-by-state (last visited Jan. 24, 2026).

[29]See Medical Misinformation Policy, supra note 8.

[30]See Hypnosis Requirements by State, supra note 20 (describing California Business and Professions Code § 2908).

January 26, 2026

By: Anushree Gulvady-Hayes

Beginning October 1, 2025, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) will require any organization seeking to license NIH-owned patents to submit an Access Plan outlining how they will promote patient access to the resulting products. [1]

The new Intramural Research Program (IRP) Access Planning Policy has drawn both industry criticism and advocacy group praise. Supporters view it as a long-overdue step towards ensuring that publicly funded discoveries are accessible and affordable. Critics, however, warn the policy could disincentivize companies from licensing NIH-owned patents and slow the translation of federally funded research into market-ready products.

The NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world with a $40 billion budget for medical research [2]. As a non-profit institution, the NIH itself does not develop, distribute, or commercialize its technologies; it relies on licensing agreements to turn its inventions into new products. In 2024, NIH-generated technologies brought in $210.6 million in royalty income, with 235 patent applications, 131 issued U.S. patents, and executed 291 licenses. [3]

In announcing the policy, NIH acknowledged that “all too often patients across the country and across the globe may be unable to access products they need — for example, a treatment for their disease may not yet exist, or it might exist but be out of reach because it is too expensive or difficult to administer.” [4] The agency says the new policy is designed to provide equitable access for underserved communities in the United States and for populations in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Under the new policy, applicants interested in commercial licenses to NIH-owned patents, including drugs, biologics, or devices for treating human disease, must submit plans describing measures to promote patient access to those licensed products.[5] Examples include: 

• Partnering with public health, non-profit, or patient advocacy organizations;
• Evaluating product appropriateness, such as drug delivery method (e.g., single dose regimen or reduced cold-chain requirements) for the applicable patient populations; 
• Optimizing dose, formulation, and manufacturing processes to reduce production costs;
•  Investing in manufacturing innovations that can reduce prices and expand access; and 
• Avoiding price increases that outpaces inflation.

The NIH will not consider any license application that lacks an Access Plan. [6] However, the agency may grant waivers if access planning would make commercialization unfeasible or hinder the overall public benefit. [7]

The draft policy, published in 2024, attracted 48 public comments from universities, companies, and advocacy groups. [8] The majority commended the NIH’s commitment to expanding access. Others, however, expressed concern about compliance uncertainty, limited control over downstream pricing decisions by insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, and a lack of detail regarding enforcement mechanisms such as license termination or NIH’s potential use of march-in rights. [9] One commenter cautioned, “Rigid pricing restrictions could deter the licensing and investment needed to bring NIH inventions to market.” [10]

The Bayh-Dole Coalition, representing universities, venture capital firms, and industry groups, has been especially critical, arguing the policy “undermine[s] the incentives companies require to assume the risks and expense of turning these discoveries into useful products.” [11]The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 allows universities and small businesses to retain ownership of patents from federally funded research, a framework long credited for incentivizing commercialization of federally funded inventions. [12]

How the NIH ultimately implements the policy, and whether it successfully enhances affordability without dampening commercialization, remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Access Planning Policy marks a significant shift toward linking public investment in science with a stronger commitment to public benefit.

 [1] U.S. NAT’L INST. OF HEALTH, NOT-OD-25-136, NIH INTRAMURAL RESEARCH PROGRAM ACCESS PLANNING POLICY (2025). https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-25-136.html.

 [2] U.S. NAT’L INST. OF HEALTH TECH. TRANSFER, ANNUAL REPORT (2024).

 [3] U.S. NAT’L INST. OF HEALTH TECH. TRANSFER, supra note 2.

[4] U.S. NAT’L INST. OF HEALTH, supra note 1.

[5] Id.

[6] Id.

[7] Id.

[8] U.S. NAT’L INST. OF HEALTH, COMPILED PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) OFFICE OF SCIENCE POLICY (OSP): REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON DRAFT NIH INTRAMURAL RESEARCH PROGRAM POLICY: PROMOTING EQUITY THROUGH ACCESS PLANNING. (July 22, 2024).

[9] Id.

[10] Id.

[11] Id.

[12] 35 U.S.C. § 200.

By: Haileigh Farrell

Photo Credits: Pexels

Introduction

On October 26, 1999, the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999 (911 Act) was put into effect. The 911 Act’s objective was “to improve public safety by encouraging and facilitating the prompt deployment of a nationwide, seamless communications infrastructure for emergency services.”

Almost 26 years later, the American public continues to rely and entrust 911 lines during medical emergencies, natural disasters, and other life-threatening events. 

In Onondaga County, where Syracuse University College of Law sits, the Onondaga County Department of Emergency Communications 2024 Annual Report echoes this demand and a commitment to excellent community service. As one of the largest accredited 911 centers in the entire state, the Department provides “calltaking and dispatch services to nearly half a million people and ~100 public safety agencies.” Last year, 523,660 incoming emergency calls were received by the Department of Emergency Communications. In 2024, its average answering speed for 911 calls was 9.78 seconds. Just as impressively, via a contract with an over the telephone translation service, the Department provides interpreters for more than 140 different languages.

Recent changes in workplace classifications and advancing technology also show how this sector is continuing to transform. 

Workplace Reclassifications

Historically, 911 professionals have been categorized as “Office and Administrative Support.” However, in September 2025, the Senate approved the Enhancing First Response Act (S.725). Via this bill, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) would “reclassify Public Safety Telecommunicators as a ‘Protective Service Occupation’ in the federal Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.” For reference, Office and Administrative Support Occupations include customer service representatives, receptionists, and bill and account collectors. Notably, “[t]he legislation was introduced by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and in addition to Sen. Cantwell, was co-sponsored by Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Angus King (I-Maine), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).”

On one hand, this shift highlights the important lifesaving measures, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructions, that telecommunicators have tirelessly facilitated with the highest degree of composure. On the other, this regrouping sheds light on the technological infrastructures operators are interfacing with and newer responsibilities operators are being tasked with given advancing multimedia transmissions they are having with the public.

Advancing Technological Infrastructures

Below are just a few of the various technological systems, multimedia transmissions, and modes of artificial intelligence (AI) transforming the landscape of 911 operations. 

1. Geofencing

When there is an efflux of emergency calls, geofencing narrows in on the geographic epicenter creating the highest volume of calls. Calls from within that radius receive a scripted message stating evacuation procedures and critical safety instructions while external calls are pushed to live personnel for assistance. 

2. Mapping Technology

When a member of the public calls 911 but cannot provide coordinates, an address, or a reference point as to where they are, mapping technology can provide dispatchers with their answer. Such technology may provide details as precise as what floor an individual is on in a multi-level building. This may be especially useful for rural areas, remote areas, or outdoor areas with copious acreage.

3. Text Message Links & Live Streaming

With Carbyne APEX, a cloud-based NG911 call-handling platform with powers driven by AI, dispatcher-directed live video and messaging is available. As a call is taking place, a link is texted to the caller to facilitate live video streaming.

4. AI Screening

Under this approach, an operator first answers the call and dictates whether it is an emergency or non-emergency call. Then, the call is shifted to the automated system to gather pertinent information, which is estimated to save two to three minutes per call. Afterwards, the dispatcher will go back to handling the call.

5. Background Noise Reduction & Speech Recognition

With these features, inaudible background noises can be identified and keywords associated with emergencies are flagged. Additionally, real-time speech-to-text transcription call handling tools and automatic call transcriptions are available.

Conclusion

As for S.725, it will be interesting to monitor changes in public perception and policy. As for this new, advantageous technology, it will be essential for such changes to be communicated with transparency, honesty, and visibility. As demonstrated by a March to July survey of 2,000 Americans this year, “16% of those surveyed believe 911 calls are being answered by AI instead of live dispatchers without disclosing, according to Robots Reveal Yourself: The AI Call Report by Answering Service Care published Sept. 22.”

Sources:

 The FCC, 911 and E911 Services, Federal Communications Commission (Sept. 25, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/general/9-1-1-and-e9-1-1-services.

Id.

Department of Emergency Communications, Emergency Communications – 911, Onondaga County, https://onondaga.gov/911/.

Onondaga County Department of Emergency Communications, 2024 Annual Report 19 (J. Ryan McMahon, II & Julie K. Corn 2024).

Id. at 18.

 Id. at 22.

 Chris Nussman, U.S. Senate Passes Bill to Recognize 9-1-1 as a Public Safety Occupation, NENA (Sept. 11, 2025), https://www.nena.org/news/709853/U.S.-Senate-Passes-Bill-to-Recognize-9-1-1-as-a-Public-Safety-Occupation.htm

 Id.

 Id.

Colby Leigh Pechtol, Public Safety Telecommunicator Reclassification: Status and Considerations for Congress,Congress.Gov (June 6, 2025), https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12747.

Press Release, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation, Senate Passes National Legislation Officially Recognizing 9-1-1 Operators as Members of the First Responders System (Sept. 12, 2025) (on file with the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation).

Pechtol, supra note 10.

Id.

NTIA, Improving 9-1-1 Operations with Artificial Intelligence, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (Aug. 2, 2024), https://www.ntia.gov/category/next-generation-911/improving-911-operations-with-artificial-intelligence.

Id. 

Peter S. Pynadath, How New 911 Technology Helped Rescue an Injured Hiker in Cosmopolitan Park, Columbia Missourian (Oct. 8, 2025), https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/how-new-911-technology-helped-rescue-an-injured-hiker-lost-in-cosmopolitan-park/article_265cc3db-749f-4f1b-bd4d-b86d66264cc3.html#:~:text=But%20because%20Boone%20County%20Joint,the%20hiker%20and%20his%20dog.

Id.

Id.

The Cobb County Department of Emergency Communications, Cobb 911 Announces Major Tech Upgrades, Becoming the Largest to Launch an AI-Enhanced Phone System in Metro Atlanta, Cobb County Gov (Aug. 6, 2025), https://www.cobbcounty.gov/911/news/cobb-911-announces-major-tech-upgrades-becoming-largest-launch-ai-enhanced-phone-system.

Id.

CBS Broadcasting Inc., How 911 Dispatchers Are Using AI to Handle Nonemergency Calls on Busy Nights, CBS News (Jul. 2, 2025), https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/video/how-911-dispatchers-are-using-ai-to-handle-nonemergency-calls-on-busy-nights/. 

Id.

Id.

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, Artificial Intelligence in Emergency Communications Centers, CISA.Gov (Mar. 2025), https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/25_0328_s-n_ai-implemen-ecc_infographic_508C.pdf.

Id.

Jennifer Rodriguez, Are 911 Calls Answered by AI? What Americans Think — and What the Government Says, Miami Herald (Oct. 6, 2025), https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article312404993.html.

By: Monica Dugan

Finnish health brand Oura recently suffered a PR nightmare linked to their partnership with the United States Department of Defense.

Oura and the DoD have been partnered since 2019, with the goal of supporting U.S. service members and their health. Oura cites four goals of this partnership: stress management and resilience; optimization of fitness, physical stress, and recovery; managing fatigue-risk; and early illness detection.

Following the tragic loss of seventeen naval soldiers due to an accident linked to fatigue in 2017, the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) launched the Command Readiness, Endurance, and Watchstanding (CREW) program to better understand how fatigue impacts our armed forces. The NHRC chose Oura Rings to track sleep and health biometrics, and plans to launch a volunteer study with 1,600 naval service members to study crew fatigue. Oura will distribute Rings to the service members in the study, which will gather users’ biometric data and provide commanders and coordinators with real-time insights. In an effort to bring the work of Oura and the DoD closer to home, Oura is constructing a manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, expected to be fully operational in 2026.

Oura’s deployment with the armed forces is still in its relatively early stages. However, initial results have indicated that biometrics observation could be a powerful source for enhancing human performance, optimizing training times, and combatting physical or mental health challenges.

This is also not the only instance where the military has partnered with health companies. In 2021, the wearable biometric company WHOOP partnered with U.S. Army paratroopers to measure soldier stress in extreme Arctic conditions. The soldiers stationed in Alaska wore the WHOOP watches for the duration of the six month study in order to improve soldier resiliency, optimize training methods, and promote the mental well-being of soldiers. The study concluded in May of 2021 and data was analyzed that summer, providing commanders with insight on how to better schedule training and recovery routines for their troops.

Despite the previous successful partnerships between biometric data companies and our armed forces, Oura’s partnership recently caused an uproar. Influencers took to social media in September to publicly denounce Oura, accusing the company of selling users’ data to the government. One Twitter post from September 1 read: “Oura has partnered with Palantir and the Department of Defense, so we probably shouldn’t use these products anymore”. Another Tweet posted in response to the news: “I’ll never get one now. The sad caveat? They’ll make plenty selling their ring and peoples’ data to the military/security state…”. The PR nightmare became so bad that the Oura CEO Tom Hale had to post his first ever TikTok to address the paranoia.

Much of the concern arose from Oura’s working closely with tech company Palantir to facilitate its partnership with the DoD. Palantir is a software company that deploys information to both commercial and government clients. Palantir uses a service called FedStart, which allows companies to bypass the government’s lengthy accreditation process and run their software within Palantir’s already accredited software. Palantir and Oura do not have a partnership; Palantir just provides the security layer that Oura needs in order to partner with the DoD to ensure that Oura’s data is being shared with the highest level of governmental security that Palantir can ensure. 

Those with access to such data include unit commanders and performance coaches, who will be able to use the data to optimize training and respond to their units’ needs. Through this technology jungle-gym, users’ data remains secure and complies with the DoD’s strict security requirements. 

The government has a high bar for security in information, and for good reason. In 2017, service members wearing Strava watches unintentionally exposed the location of several military bases. Oura’s partnership with the DoD is enabled to protect information designated IL5 (Impact Level 5), the second-highest level of security control for information within the DoD. This means that the data collected by the servicemembers’ rings is highly protected and encrypted, only for use by the appropriate government personnel, as the information relates to matters of military control and intelligence.

The controversy stems from the fact that many people don’t like Palantir. As a company that specializes in the confusing world of large-scale data analytics, many see it as a “scary tech giant” that provides surveillance information to the government and opens the door to breaches and abuse. Critics of Palantir have accused the company of having “blood on its hands” and fear that the company’s data surveillance capabilities can help police facilitate deportation raids. The company has strongly defended its operation, explaining how its clients always own the data and control its distribution. The truth is that Palantir’s operations are difficult to grasp, even for employees.

Time will tell how effective this governmental experiment between Oura and the DoD is, but social media users should always take the time to research the information they find online, especially when their personal data is involved.

Sources:

 [1] Oura Team, Oura Establishes U.S. Manufacturing to Support Growing U.S. Defense Business, OURA BLOG (Aug. 27, 2025), https://ouraring.com/blog/oura-us-department-of-defense/?srsltid=AfmBOoq_tMSVyZQcRh3icqhNP6lXNYM86eIKyu0TE42-EkbKI7-kmCyX.

 [2] Id. 

[3] Jessica Hagan, Oura Opens Manufacturing Facility to Support U.S. Department of Defense, MOBIHEALTHNEWS (Aug. 27, 2025, 2:15 PM), https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/oura-opens-manufacturing-facility-support-us-department-defense.

[4]Oura Team, supra note 1. 

[5]Whoop Partners with U.S. Army in Study to Examine Stress in Soldiers, WHOOP: Press Release (Feb. 24, 2021), https://www.whoop.com/us/en/press-center/us-army-study-soldiers-stress/.

[6] Id.

 [7]Laura Miers (@LauraMiers), X (Sept. 1, 2025, 4:16 PM), https://x.com/LauraMiers/status/1962610473632727166.

[8]Adrian (@SillyPutty78), X (Sept. 1, 2025, 5:37 PM), https://x.com/SillyPutty78/status/1962630985297924494. 

[9]@ouraring, TIKTOK (Sept. 2, 2025), https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMNNNyLD/.

[10]Tekendra Parmar, How Oura Got Caught in a TikTok Conspiracy Storm, INC: TECHNOLOGY (Sept. 4, 2025), https://www.inc.com/tekendra-parmar/oura-ring-got-caught-in-a-tiktok-conspiracy-storm/91235293. 

[11]Christianna Silva, What Oura Ring’s Partnership with the U.S. Military Means for Your Data, MASHABLE (Sept. 2, 2025), https://mashable.com/article/oura-ring-department-of-defense-palantir. 

 [12]Parmar, supra note 10.

[13]Art Clomera, What is DoD Impact Level 5 (IL5)?, IPKEYS BLOG (Mar. 19, 2025), https://ipkeys.com/blog/dod-il5/; Oura Team supra note 1.

 [14]Natalie Sherman, Palantir: The Controversial Data Firm Now Worth £ 17 bn, BBC (Sept. 30, 2020), https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54348456.

[15]Caroline Haskins, What Does Palantir Actually Do?, WIRED: BUSINESS (Aug. 11, 2025, 7:00 AM), https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-what-the-company-does/.