According to the proposed class action law- suit, confidential information on patient’s using the health systems website to search for physicians and conduct routine business, secretly allows access to this information by Facebook through the Commonwealth system.
Philadelphia attorney George Bochetto files the law suit along with several other attorney’s claiming that the health system discloses information using a digital tracking tool to transmit information regarding searches, which is embedded in its website.
Most uses understand that the Internet provides them with anonymity, unfortunately it is not the case. When there is third party tracking devices in the hospital website as Commonwealth health says Bochetto in the suit.
Number of hospital systems nationwide, using a tracking tool Known as a pixel created by Facebook Parent company Meta, also joined the lawsuit. These confidential breaches came into light when a non-profit investigative news organization, discovered 33 of 100 hospitals that was investigated and tested nationwide had Meta’s pixel incorporated in their website.
This matter is to be transferred to Federal Court by the health system Annmarie Poslock a Spokeswomen for the health system in an email informed patient’s privacy is a serious responsibility and should be guarded, but did not comment on the law suit at that time. User interaction with the health system website are immediately transmits the information to Facebook using their tracking device.
Deeply personal and private information can be revealed on commonwealth health’s website. Including inquires the user types in the site’s search bar. Other information including when a patient searches or schedules an appointment, the tracker revels the information that can indicate their health condition based on the physician’s specialty.
An IP address is used by the Facebook to identify each user. This information then shares the data with others. Several other health systems using the tracking device has stopped and notified patients of their information being shared.
The suit says Commonwealth health done nothing, and continues to transmit information despite community knowledge on collection and disclosure and is a violation on patient’s fundamental privacy rights. Damages on five counts including breach of confidentiality and privacy is being highlighted in the suit, and asked a judge to hold the health system Data collection and grant compensatory and punitive damage to anyone affected by this privacy breach.
