FTC, HHS warn providers about privacy risks of tracking tech

These services, like Meta Pixel or Google Analytics, could violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data security rules, officials said.

The FTC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a rare joint release announcing that 130 hospital systems and telehealth providers received a letter warning them about the data privacy and security risks related to the use of online tracking technologies integrated into their websites or mobile apps.

These technologies may be impermissibly disclosing consumers’ sensitive personal health data to third parties,...