Blue Shield of California inadvertently disclosed sensitive health information belonging to approximately 4.7 million members to Google via its website analytics tool. Data shared may include medical claim dates, provider details, personal identifiers, and financial responsibility information. This breach raises questions about patient privacy, especially regarding how data is used to target advertisements. The insurer reported this issue in a recent privacy notification, emphasizing that the sharing occurred due to a configuration error with their Google Analytics tool, meant to enhance service delivery to members while compromising their personal data safety.
US health insurance giant Blue Shield of California shared sensitive health information of up to 4.7 million members with Google without their knowledge or consent.
The data shared could allow Google to target ads based on medical appointments, raising significant privacy concerns for affected individuals.
Blue Shield's notification of the data breach comes after the revelation that visitor data was improperly transmitted to Google via Google Analytics.
The incident underscores the potential risks of digital tools in healthcare, particularly with how personal data is managed and secured.
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