The startup of health Cerebral has issued a statement confirming that private data of metal health of the 3.1 million customers have finished at advertising platforms of Meta, TikTok, Google…”and others“.
We are talking about private mental health data of the first level: patient names, Telephone numbersemail addresses, dates of birth, IP addressesinsurance information, appointment dates, treatments and much more.
Even the responses that customers filled out as part of the mental health self-assessment on the website and the app, which is used to schedule therapy appointments and receive prescription drugs.
Pixel Tracking strikes again
This serious data breachwhich not only involves personal information, but also mental healthhas reached advertising platforms thanks to the dreaded Tracking Pixel that they use Goal, TikTok, Google and other companies that track user activity.
This tracking pixel It is a piece of code that website owners can install for free, in a specific area of their page. Normally the purchase box of an item, places where users enter, the button to access a product file, etc.
When someone touches that area of the web, the Tracking pixel collect all kinds of information. It is also kept in the browser’s cache, so it keeps track of the different places you visit, to create a very detailed profile of yourself: tastes, political ideas, friendships, purchases, etc.
Cerebral ensures that your customer information has been leaked through these tracking pixels that the aforementioned platforms use, and that she inserted on her website to monitor the activity of her patients.
The explanation has many gapsbecause these tracking pixels They even spy on the brand of underwear you wear, but should not collect data such as names, phone numbers and emailsas if they have been leaked.
Cerebral’s statement sure has outraged his patientsbecause in addition to not assuming any blame, advises “use the browser in incognito mode“so they don’t track. Come on, it’s the patients’ fault, not that they put tracking pixels on their website.
The security breach is already being investigated by the United States Office for Civil Rights, although as often happens in these cases, Cerebral you will end up with a fine, which you will have no difficulty in paying.
But there is a very serious problem when, supposedly, a tracking pixel of Meta, TikTok and Googleends up collecting private mental health datafrom names and telephone numbers to diseases and treatments, of the patients of Cerebral. The internet is broken, and it’s time for governments to get to work on fixing it, before it’s too late. If it isn’t already…