A recent lawsuit filed against Atrium Health accuses the healthcare provider of violating patient privacy by sharing sensitive information with Facebook and Google for targeted advertising. The civil action was brought on April 10 in North Carolina by two unidentified plaintiffs, one from North Carolina and the other from Michigan. The lawsuit claims that the Atrium Health website used Meta’s Pixel application, a background code that collects data from advertisers. This code not only tracks browsing data like IP addresses but also has the ability to access typed-in form details, including user names and contact information.
According to court filings, Atrium Health allegedly removed the Pixel code following negative press and litigation against other healthcare companies for similar privacy violations. However, despite this, Atrium Health’s website does not disclose the use of Pixel or any other tracking technology used to monitor patient activity online. Instead, the health system mentions “cookies and similar technology” to track online patient activity and recommend services and products to better understand the effectiveness of their content and marketing efforts.
The Charlotte Observer was the first to report on this news, providing screenshots from the lawsuit that show the health system’s website actively using Pixel code. Despite concerns raised about patient privacy, Atrium Health maintains that it takes these matters seriously and has implemented measures to protect patients’ personal information. Nevertheless, this lawsuit highlights the need for greater transparency in how healthcare providers use data for targeted advertising purposes.
