Facebook Is For Keeping In Touch With That Kid From 8th Grade. And Having Your Health Data Shared By Healthcare Providers, Apparently.

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HE’S GOT KIDNEY STONES!

Facebook is many things. A way to keep in touch with friends. A convenient way to radicalize your uncle with QAnon nonsense. And, according to several recent lawsuits, a middle man for third-party buyers to get some great personal information about you so that their personalized ads and who knows what else are tailored to your wants and proclivities. From ABA Journal:

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An increasing number of lawsuits are alleging that tracking tools on health care websites and patient portals allow Facebook and other third parties to obtain confidential medical information.

The suits, most of which are in their early stages, may have been precipitated by a December warning by the Federal Trade Commission, according to a story by Law.com on the suits.

The warning said tracking tools that help health care providers learn how patients interact with their sites may collect information that should not be shared with vendors and other third parties. The disclosure could violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the warning said.

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With accusations like these, it isn’t surprising that these claims are being taken to court. Disclosing people’s private health information is a big no-no. Even though the disclosures may violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), it is much easier for the impacted patients to sue under state privacy laws. One of those “Aren’t statutes weird?” moments. In the meantime, try to stay out of hospitals. Not only are they expensive, suits like these aren’t helping my suspicion that the paintings in the hallways have cameras in the eyes.

Health Care Providers Divulge Patient Information To Facebook, Other Third Parties, Lawsuits Allege [ABA Journal]

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Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.

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ATL Health, Courts, Facebook, Health Care / Medicine, Healthcare Docket, HIPAA, Privacy