Berman Tabacco is investigating potential violations of state privacy laws by healthcare companies that employ tracking pixels made by Facebook, Google, and other online advertising platforms to scoop up and monetize personal health information. Tracking pixels are small lines of code embedded in websites that automatically transmit user information to online advertisers.
State privacy laws provide robust protection against transmitting personal health information without consent. Berman Tabacco is investigating whether, unbeknownst to consumers, several healthcare companies shared personal, private healthcare information without patient consent. Tracking pixels automatically collect and transmit users’ identity and personal health information to online advertising platforms. That information is then linked with their personal Facebook and Google accounts and used to sell advertising. For healthcare-related websites, the information collected may include prescription drug information, searches for doctors and treatments, and medical and mental health history, among other things.
The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice have begun cracking down on these practices. For example, the FTC and DOJ have recently reached agreements with GoodRx and BetterHelp barring the unauthorized use of personal health information, along with millions of dollars in fines. But these measures are not designed to compensate users whose private information was unlawfully transmitted to Facebook and others.
If you used GoodRx, Rite Aid, TalkSpace, Cerebral, Inc., or BetterHelp, your personal health information may have been shared without your consent. If you are interested helping to hold these entities accountable, please provide your information below.
Do you use other online healthcare-related services that you have privacy concerns about? Let us know.
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Contact:
Berman Tabacco
Steven L. Groopman, Esq.
Kristie A. LaSalle, Esq.
One Liberty Square
Boston, Massachusetts
(800) 516-9926
Email: law@bermantabacco.com