In the spring of 2019, Mimi Martinez McKay, then deputy director for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, noticed alarming claims on Twitter about the safety of 7 Cups, a popular emotional support platform. The county had previously agreed to provide access to 7 Cups as part of a five-year, $101 million initiative known as Tech Suite, aimed at connecting California residents to mental health help using innovative technology.
The claims on Twitter suggested that a teen user on 7 Cups had been manipulated into sharing child sexual abuse content with an adult user. This revelation shocked McKay, who controlled the department’s Twitter account. The incident in L.A. County ultimately led to the termination of 7 Cups’ contract with the state, according to sources familiar with the events.
Despite the termination, a settlement was reached between 7 Cups and the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA). The settlement, obtained by Mashable, included a confidentiality clause preventing disclosure of the details. The investigation found concerns about inappropriate comments, including discussions of child sexual abuse on the platform.
A separate criminal case involving 7 Cups revealed how a man posed as a teenager on the platform to coerce a minor into sending explicit material. However, California officials appeared unaware of the case when awarding the contract to 7 Cups. The lack of transparency raised questions about accountability and user safety in the mental health app market.
The failure to disclose issues with 7 Cups highlighted the risks of using unregulated digital technology in mental health services. The lack of transparency not only impacted user safety but also hindered academia and industry from learning from critical mistakes. This cautionary tale sheds light on the challenges faced when leveraging technology to address mental health issues.