Author Topic: NHS shares patient data with Facebook  (Read 1715 times)

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Offline Maik

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NHS shares patient data with Facebook
« on: Saturday, 27 May, 2023 @ 22:28:48 »
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NHS data breach: trusts shared patient details with Facebook without consent

NHS trusts are sharing intimate details about patients’ medical conditions, appointments and treatments with Facebook without consent and despite promising never to do so.

An Observer investigation has uncovered a covert tracking tool in the websites of 20 NHS trusts which has for years collected browsing information and shared it with the tech giant in a major breach of privacy.

The data includes granular details of pages viewed, buttons clicked and keywords searched. It is matched to the user’s IP address – an identifier linked to an individual or household – and in many cases details of their Facebook account.

Records of information sent to the firm by NHS websites reveal it includes data which – when linked to an individual – could reveal personal medical details.

The findings have caused alarm among privacy experts who said they indicated widespread potential breaches of data protection and patient confidentiality that were “completely unacceptable”.

Collectively, the 20 NHS trusts found using the tracking tool serve a population of more than 22 million people in England, stretching from Devon to the Pennines. Some had been using it for several years.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/may/27/nhs-data-breach-trusts-shared-patient-details-with-facebook-meta-without-consent

Offline Maik

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Re: NHS shares patient data with Facebook
« Reply #1 on: Sunday, 04 June, 2023 @ 00:21:06 »
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UK mental health charities handed sensitive data to Facebook for targeted ads
Embedded tracking tool revealed details of users’ visits to content on depression, self-harm and eating disorders

Some of Britain’s biggest charities providing support for people with mental health problems shared details of sensitive web browsing with Facebook for use in its targeted advertising system.

The data was sent via a tracking tool embedded in the charities’ websites and included details of webpages a user visited and buttons they clicked across content linked to depression, self-harm and eating disorders.

It also included details of when users requested support – such as clicking a link saying “I need help” – and when they viewed webpages to access online chat tools. Some of the pages that triggered data-sharing with Facebook were aimed specifically at children, including a page aimed at 11- to 18-year-olds offering advice on suicidal thoughts.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/03/uk-mental-health-charities-handed-sensitive-data-to-facebook-for-targeted-ads