FTC fines drug discount firm $1.5M for sharing user data with Microsoft and Google

In recent months, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has come down hard on megatech corporations, not only fining Google for payment verification, but also publicly expressing its distrust of Microsoft over the Activision-Blizzard takeover. Also expressed. Today, the FTC announced that it Fined drug rebate provider $1.5 million GoodRx for not reporting unauthorized disclosures of users’ personal health information with companies including Google, Facebook, Criteo, Branch, and Twilio.

The move comes as the first enforcement of its kind under the FTC’s Health Breach Notification Rule. On top of the fines, the action prohibits GoodRx from sharing a user’s health data with applicable third parties, even for mere advertising purposes, and for any other data sharing without the user’s consent. Will be needed.

The FTC specifically explained the ways in which the drug discount firm violated its consumer privacy laws, noting that GoodRx did the following:

• Sharing of personal health information with Facebook, Google, Criteo, and others
• Used personal health information to target its customers with advertisements.
• Failing to restrict third parties’ use of personal health information
• Misrepresented its HIPAA compliance.

Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, commented on the precedent set by this enforcement:

“Digital health companies and mobile apps should not take advantage of consumers’ highly sensitive and personally identifiable health information. The FTC is issuing this notice to protect American consumers’ sensitive data from misuse and illegal exploitation. will use all its legal powers to

The commission has sent the Justice Department to file a final order after a 4-0 unanimous vote in favor of the complaint. Notably, though, the proposed order would first have to be approved by a federal court to take effect.