Atrium Health is currently facing a federal lawsuit alleging that it violated patient privacy by sharing sensitive information with Facebook and Google for targeted advertising. The civil action was filed 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 shares data with advertisers. This code not only collects browsing data like IP addresses but also has the ability to access typed-in form details, including user names and contact information. The Charlotte Observer was the first to report on the news, providing screenshots from the lawsuit that show the health system’s website actively using Pixel code.
According to court filings, Atrium Health allegedly removed the Pixel code following negative press and litigation against other healthcare companies for similar privacy violations. The lawsuit states that the plaintiffs first noticed the use of Pixel in June 2022, after which they began receiving unsolicited emails and personalized ads on websites related to medical issues they had shared with Atrium Health. Despite this, Atrium Health’s website currently does not disclose the use of Pixel. However, the health system mentions the use of “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.
Atrium Health’s website also states that advertisers may display targeted advertisements on third-party websites and social networks based on patients’ previous interactions with their website, as tracked by cookies and similar technologies.