FTC highlights the hidden impacts of pixel tracking in healthcare

The FTC issued a deep dive on pixel tracking technology and how the tools can negatively impact healthcare and consumer data. 

In a March 16 post, the FTC listed four concerns about pixel tracking technology:

1. Consumers may not realize that tracking pixels exist as they're invisibly embedded within web pages that users might interact with.
   
   
2. Pixels can collect and share any type of personal and identifying information.
   
   
3. Some pixels may try to remove personal information from being collected, but may still obtain enough information to identify an individual.
   
   
4. The FTC said companies or organizations using pixel tracking technology that discloses an individual's personal information to third parties may be violating the FTC Act, the FTC's Health Breach Notification Rule, the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rule. 

This comes after the agency used its Health Breach Notification Rule against GoodRx Holdings and BetterHelp for failing to notify consumers and others of its unauthorized disclosures of consumers' personal health information through pixel tracking technology.