A series of federal data privacy crackdowns is complicating how health care companies market their services online
The Federal Trade Commission said it had fined telehealth provider GoodRx $1.5 million for sharing customer data with Google, Facebook and other firms. | Business Wire.
“Legal and compliance teams … are telling the marketing team that these tools are dead men walking, you need to shut it off immediately,” said Ray Mina, head of marketing at Freshpaint, a San Francisco firm that provides software to health care firms for managing customer marketing data. Last year, lawmakers proposed broad data privacy legislation, but Congress didn’t pass it. Agencies from HHS to the FTC are trying to expand data protections anyway, arguing that existing authorities provide them the power to do so, even though they haven’t used those authorities to broadly protect health data in the past.
Meanwhile, in February, the Federal Trade Commission said it had fined prescription discount site and telehealth provider GoodRx $1.5 million for sharing customer data with Google, Facebook and other firms. The agency said to expect similar enforcement to come and last month fined online therapy provider BetterHelp $7.8 million for sharing customer data after telling patients it would not.
BetterHelp said in a statement that it was accused of using “limited, encrypted information to optimize the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns so we could deliver more relevant ads and reach people who may be interested in our services.” But some health care executives aren’t so sure. “This has been the reason that my CEO can’t sleep at night,” said a lawyer for a telehealth company whom POLITICO granted anonymity so as not to draw attention to their client.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Six more Bidens may have gained from family business schemes: Comer“The Biden family enterprise is centered on Joe Biden’s political career and connections, and it has generated an exorbitant amount of money for the Biden family,” Rep. James Comer said…
Read more »
Nets’ Mikal Bridges shut down by 76ers after dominant first halfMikal Bridges had 23 points Saturday in the first half of a 121-101 loss to the 76ers, but he took just two shots in the second half.
Read more »
Iconic U.S. company Tupperware warns it may shut downFounded in 1942, Tupperware has relied mostly on direct-sales models for much of its history.
Read more »
Lombard carnival shut down • rowdy teens crowd Chicago beach • Walmart stores closeA suburban carnival was shut down Friday night after a fight broke out; shots were fired inside a South Loop movie theater last weekend; and the warm weather in Chicago brought hundreds of teenagers together resulting in some rowdy behavior and crowd shootings over the past two days. These are the top stories from Fox 32's Week in Review.
Read more »
Brittany Matthews Defends Jackson Mahomes: 'Just Shut Up'Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany Matthews, defended the football star's younger brother, Jackson Mahomes, amid controversy — read more
Read more »
Chicago traffic: Indiana Toll Road shut down in both directions for utility pole fireEmergency officials are concerned the pole could collapse and bring power lines onto the roadway.
Read more »