Novant Health agrees to $6.6M settlement of patient lawsuit over data shared with Facebook parent Meta - Charlotte Business Journal
More than $2 million of the $6.6 million settlement will go to plaintiff attorneys. The rest will be divided among 158,000 patients. Novant Health has settled a class-action lawsuit, agreeing to pay $6.6 million to about 160,000 patients who claimed their sensitive data was shared with Facebook parent company Meta Platforms Inc. Attorneys for the plaintiffs will receive $2.2 million, with the remaining $4.4 million split between 158,000 patient, equating to $28 per patient. The settlement was approved by a U.S. District Judge in the Middle District of North Carolina. Novant Health was one of many hospitals across the country that used Meta's tracking pixel, which was intended to collect website visitor information for marketing purposes. However, an investigative report by The Markup claimed that HIPAA-protected information was also being collected. While Novant settled the case, it did not admit any wrongdoing.
Publicerad : 2 veckor sedan förbi Daniel Finnegan i Business Tech
Attorneys for the plaintiffs will receive $2.2 million. The bulk of the remaining $4.4 million will be split between 158,000 patients, which equates to $28 per patient.
Novant Health has settled a class-action lawsuit, agreeing to pay $6.6 million to about 160,000 patients who claimed some of their sensitive data was shared with Facebook parent company Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META).
A U.S. District judge in the Middle District of North Carolina signed off on the settlement between the Winston-Salem health system and patients whose data was compromised while using Novant's MyChart portal between May 1, 2020 and Aug. 12, 2022.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs will receive $2.2 million. The bulk of the remaining $4.4 million will be split between 158,000 patients, which equates to $28 per patient.
Novant was one of many hospitals across the country that used Meta’s tracking pixel, which was intended to collect website visitor information for marketing purposes. Charlotte-based Atrium Health also used the tracking pixel.
But The Markup published an investigative report in June 2022 that claimed HIPAA-protected information was also being collected. The report led to a flurry of lawsuits, including this one filed by 10 Novant Health patients.
While Novant settled the case, it didn't admit any wrongdoing.
Novant issued the following statement: "As a health system devoted to creating a remarkable care experience, Novant Health is committed to continuously evaluating the security of our patients’ personal information. While the court did not find any wrongdoing on the part of Novant Health in indicating that the court will approve the class action settlement, we have reinforced our privacy measures and developed additional policies to further protect patients. Safeguarding patient privacy is a responsibility we take seriously, and we are dedicated to maintaining patient confidentiality now and in the future."
Novant is the second-largest health system in Charlotte. It is also the fourth-largest employer here, with about 14,000 local workers as of June 30, 2023.
According to The Markup's report, Novant was one of seven health systems using Pixel in patients’ password-protected portals.
Novant said it disabled the pixel when it became aware that it had the potential to transmit health information that was not intended to be included. Novant said it mailed 1.3 million notification letters and also began an investigation into what information had been shared.
“Based on its investigation, Novant Health is unaware of any improper use or attempted use of any patient information by Meta or any other third party,” Novant said.
The Markup said it created a MyChart account in the Novant system as part of its investigation and found the Meta Pixel was "collecting a variety of other sensitive information.”
“Clicking on one button prompted the pixel to tell Facebook the name and dosage of a medication in our health record, as well as any notes we had entered about the prescription," The Markup reported.
“The pixel also told Facebook which button we clicked in response to a question about sexual orientation.”
Ämnen: Lawsuits, Social Media