ClassAction.org first reported on the claims.
The lawsuit alleges that tracking tools on Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre website expose private consumer information without their knowledge or consent. Its FreeStyle.Abbott website provides educational tools for the continuous glucose monitor (CGM) technology, cost and coverage information and more.
An Abbott spokesperson provided the following statement to Drug Delivery Business News via email:
“Abbott just received the complaint, and we are currently reviewing it. We build privacy and security protections into the products and services we design and have robust privacy and security systems in place to protect the data we collect.”
Plaintiffs Lily Nguyen, Emzora Mitchell and Frank Ortega brought forward the complaint in the U.S. District Court For The Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division. They claim that software on Abbott’s site, which includes at least Meta pixel, Google Analytics, Google DoubleClick and Google Tag Manager, tracks users and sends their data back to the third parties.
The complaint alleges that the tracking tools used by Abbott allow the unaouthorized third parties to intercept customer communications. These tools also enable the third parties to view private information and mine that information, according to the complaint. This could lead to monetizing data to deliver targeted advertisements, among other things.
Plaintiffs say their activity on the website led to targeted advertisements on Facebook and Instagram related to diabetes management.
Data could include information about medical conditions, insurance coverage details and their diabetes management. The suit says the information is returned to third parties with personal identifiersl ike IP addresses or Facebook ID. Plaintiffs say they never consented to third-party information sharing and alleges a HIPAA violation.
“In doing so, and by designing its website in the manner described throughout this complaint, Abbott knew or should have known that its customers would use the website to communicate private information in conjunction with obtaining and receiving medical services and products from it,” the complaint reads.
