FTC bars data broker from selling location records from healthcare facilities

The Federal Trade Commission told a data company that it could no longer sell location data collected from hundreds of millions of mobile devices, KFF Health News reported. The data was gathered when people visited sensitive locations including hospitals, dialysis clinics, and abortion clinics. [1]

Data brokers gather personal information from public records, internet sources, and private channels to sell or license to third parties. KFF Health News reported that while the Federal Trade Commission targeted one specific firm, few federal protections exist to prevent other companies from selling similar mobile location records. [1][4]

Patients face targeted advertisements after visiting medical facilities as a result of location tracking. KFF Health News reported that one leukemia survivor continued to receive advertisements on his mobile phone for unverified cancer cures and alternative clinics long after completing treatment. [1]

Due to the absence of federal regulations restricting the sale of medical location data, individual states are beginning to enact their own privacy rules to protect consumers, according to KFF Health News. [1]