US healthcare marketplaces shared citizenship and race data with ad tech giants (techcrunch.com)

Article summary

A Bloomberg investigation found that nearly all US state government-run health insurance marketplaces shared residents' application information with advertising and tech giants, including Google, LinkedIn, Meta, and Snap. The shared data included sensitive information such as citizenship and race. This data sharing raises concerns about privacy and potential HIPAA violations. The investigation highlights the widespread use of pixel-sized trackers on government websites, which can collect personal information if misconfigured.

Main themes

• Healthcare data privacy
• Government website tracking
• HIPAA compliance
• Corporate data collection
• Government oversight

What commenters say

• The sharing of healthcare data with tech giants is a clear violation of HIPAA and a threat to patient privacy.
• The problem lies not with corporations, but with government entities that are responsible for protecting citizen data and failing to do so.
• The intent of HIPAA is to protect patient privacy, and its provisions should be enforced to prevent such data sharing.
• The issue is not just about HIPAA, but about the broader problem of corporate influence over government and the need for stronger regulations to protect citizen data.
• Government websites should not be using tracking technologies that collect personal data, and such practices should be banned.
• The fact that government entities are sharing sensitive data with tech giants highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in government operations.
• The sharing of data with tech giants is a result of the lack of effective regulation and oversight of corporate activities.
• The problem of data sharing is not limited to healthcare, but is a symptom of a larger issue of corporate power and influence over government policy.