Shadow profiles from US therapist directory spark startup backlash

The blowback was sparked by an online protest by independent therapists who say CareDash used publicly available information to create shadow profiles that steered business away from them and toward the startups. — Unsplash

The therapist’s page on the CareDash website looked official: It had a profile photo, an office address and phone number, and a button to “check availability” and book an appointment.

But for potential patients who clicked on that button, it didn’t take them to set up time with the therapist, who had never signed up for CareDash. Instead, the patients were prompted to try therapy from BetterHelp or Talkspace Inc, one of the many startups launched in recent years to offer therapy online.