Why is HIPPA not applicable in their work?
An app could be considered a health info clearinghouse if it receives data from a covered entity, in which case HIPPA would be applicable. But as far as I have seen, these mental health apps are paywalled audio snippets about different mental issues.
You have it correct in your other reply. Simply put, most of these apps aren't Covered Entities, so they don't need to be HIPAA compliant.