Security News FTC: Alcohol Addiction Treatment Firm will be Banned from Disclosing Health Data for Advertising

Gandalf_The_Grey

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The Federal Trade Commission has taken action against an alcohol addiction treatment service for allegedly disclosing users’ personal health data to third-party advertising platforms, including Meta and Google, for advertising without consumer consent, after promising to keep such information confidential.

As part of a proposed order settling the FTC allegations, New York-based Monument, Inc. will be banned from disclosing health information for advertising and must obtain users’ affirmative consent before sharing health information with third parties for any other purpose.

Despite Monument’s promises to keep users’ personal information private, the complaint, filed by the Department of Justice upon notification and referral from the FTC, alleges that Monument failed to ensure it was complying with its promises and in fact disclosed users’ health information to third-party advertising platforms, including highly sensitive data that revealed that its customers were receiving help to recover from their addiction to alcohol.

“This action continues the FTC’s work to ensure strict limits on how firms handle sensitive health data, rather than putting the onus on consumers to protect themselves,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Following on the heels of actions against GoodRx, BetterHelp, and Premom, the market should be getting the message that consumer health data should be handled with extreme caution.”
 

Dave Russo

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Don't. Know what data is being used(shared) , but in the medical field there has always been the idea (if we cure people we're. Going to go out of business, so its preferred, to at least getting you addicted to medication, return therapy etc.. Alcohol or drugs(same) rehabs are extremely expensive. A program I went through claimed an 80 percent success rate until you really checked the facts, most people dropped out, relapsed, my experience is you can quit anything if motivated, back to the article usually you sign paperwork that allows program(privileges
 
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