A Covered California Enrollment Center in Chula Vista was the site of a major controversy on April 29, 2024. A photo taken by Adriana Heldiz captured the chaos unfolding at the center, with allegations of personal information being mishandled.
The drama started when CalMatters and The Markup conducted an investigation into the activities of LinkedIn and Google. What they found was shocking – these companies were accused of obtaining confidential data through California’s state health insurance exchange. The revelation led to a proposed class-action lawsuit being filed against them, claiming that they had improperly received sensitive information from trackers on the Covered California website.
The article detailed how trackers on coveredca.com were sending visitor data to LinkedIn through a tool called the Insight Tag. This data included personal details such as pregnancy status, blindness, transgender identity, and experiences of domestic abuse. The trackers also monitored visitors’ searches for medical providers and their prescription drug usage.
Following the investigation, a California congressman called on the federal Health and Human Services Department to look into the exchange’s data-sharing practices with LinkedIn. Covered California, the entity operating the exchange, promptly removed the trackers, stating that they had been used as part of an advertising campaign that started in February 2024.
The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, alleged that LinkedIn and Google received health data from web trackers on coveredca.com without the knowledge or consent of users. An anonymous California woman, the plaintiff in the case, claimed that her information was transmitted to the tech giants without her permission after she filled out forms on the Covered California website.
The proposed class action lawsuit aims to represent all individuals whose information was shared with LinkedIn and Google by Covered California. The firm representing the plaintiff, Bursor and Fisher, specializes in class-action suits, particularly in the area of data privacy. The lawsuit accuses LinkedIn and Google of intercepting sensitive communications without consent, violating California and federal laws in the process.
Google has yet to respond to requests for comment, while a LinkedIn spokesperson referred to the company’s policy prohibiting the installation of the Insight Tag on pages containing sensitive data. Covered California, set up under the Affordable Care Act to help Californians find and compare insurance plans, stated that they were reviewing the extent of data inadvertently shared with LinkedIn.
The revelation of the data tracking has caught the attention of lawmakers, with Rep. Kevin Kiley describing the situation as “incredibly disturbing.” He sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, urging an investigation into potential privacy law violations. Kiley’s letter seeks to determine the number of affected individuals and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future.
In the midst of this controversy, it’s clear that the issue of data privacy is a pressing concern for both consumers and government agencies. The lawsuit against LinkedIn and Google highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the handling of personal information. As the investigation unfolds, it remains to be seen how this case will impact the future of data sharing in California’s health insurance exchange.
