California sent residents' personal health data to LinkedIn
a year ago
- #data-tracking
- #healthcare
- #privacy
- Covered California's health insurance website, coveredca.com, was found sending sensitive user data to LinkedIn via trackers.
- Data shared included health conditions like blindness, pregnancy, and transgender status, as well as prescription medication use and domestic abuse status.
- Trackers were removed after The Markup and CalMatters reported the issue, with Covered California citing a 'marketing agency transition'.
- LinkedIn's Insight Tag was used to collect visitor data for targeted advertising, despite LinkedIn's policies against tracking sensitive health data.
- Experts criticized the practice as invasive, highlighting the lack of consumer awareness and consent.
- Covered California has initiated a review of its privacy protocols to prevent future data sharing issues.
- LinkedIn faces multiple lawsuits over similar data collection practices, including medical appointment tracking.
- California's Confidentiality of Medical Information Act requires consumer consent for sharing medical data, but enforcement remains inconsistent.
- Advocates argue for stronger regulations to protect sensitive health information from unauthorized tracking.