The Federal Trade Commission recently took enforcement action against GoodRx and BetterHelp, two digital healthcare platforms, for allegedly sharing user health data with third parties for advertising. Both cases highlighted the use of third-party tracking pixels, which enable platforms to amass, analyze, and infer information about user activity.
The remedies in GoodRx and BetterHelp include strong provisions like bans that place strict, comprehensive limits on whether and how certain user information may be disclosed for advertising.
In GoodRx and BetterHelp, this included a ban on the sharing of health information for any advertising purposes, and the BetterHelp order further bans the disclosure of other personal information for re-targeting.
What is pixel tracking?
Tracking pixels have evolved from tiny, pixel-sized images on web pages for tracking purposes to include a broad range of HTML and JavaScript embedded in web sites (and email).
Tracking pixels can be hidden from sight and can track and send all sorts of personal data such as how a user interacts with a web page including specific items a user has purchased or information users have typed within a form while on the site.
Businesses often want to use them to track consumer behavior (pageviews, clicks, interactions with ads) and target ads to users who may be more likely to engage or purchase something based on that prior online behavior.
See more at ftc.gov
