NewYork-Presbyterian Meta Tracking Pixel Class Action Complaint

What Is a Class Action Complaint?

“A class action is a type of civil lawsuit brought on behalf of many similarly situated people who have been harmed in the same way by the same entity; because they do not have the resources individually to sue the responsible party, they band together in a single case.” ⁽¹⁾ 

NewYork-Presbyterian violated its own Notice of Privacy Practices. It was required to: 

• Maintain your privacy and the security of your protected health information.
• Let you know immediately if a breach occurred that could have compromised your privacy or the security of your information.
• Follow the duties and privacy practices described in its notice of privacy practices and give you a copy of it.

What Is the Lawsuit Against NewYork-Presbyterian?

Weitz & Luxenberg is suing New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System, Inc., and The New York and Presbyterian Hospital. Our attorneys believe these companies disclosed confidential patient personally identifiable information and protected health information to third parties. This includes Meta Platforms, Inc. Meta is the parent company of Facebook. ^{(2) (3) (4)}

According to our investigations, NewYork-Presbyterian “knowingly configured and implemented a software device known as a Tracking Pixel to collect and transmit” your sensitive and confidential information to other companies.

Potentially thousands of pieces of confidential patient information may have been compromised. The defendants operate a healthcare system across New York state. It consists of 10 hospitals and campuses, with nearly 200 primary and specialty care clinics and medical groups. 

You, like other patients, had no idea the medical system embedded the Facebook Tracking Pixel on its website. You used and trusted this website. You did not know “every click, keystroke, and intimate detail” about your medical treatment was being transmitted to Facebook.

How Do I File a Complaint Against NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital?

NewYork-Presbyterian is not the first health system to be sued for illegally passing along sensitive medical information. For example, in 2019, there was a class action lawsuit against Partners Healthcare System in Massachusetts. The class action alleged “the health system had violated patients’ privacy and its own policies by installing the Meta Pixel and other tracking tools on its websites.” The case was settled out of court. The health system agreed to pay $18.4 million. ⁽⁵⁾

A number of hospital systems across the country have installed a tracking tool on their websites. Many types of confidential patient information is being collected, such as medical conditions, prescriptions, and doctor appointments. Researchers called out the hospitals for their illegal activity, and some made changes. ⁽⁶⁾

However, these arrangements between hospital systems and tech companies are on the rise. Selling a patient’s private medical information to tech companies is lucrative. ⁽⁷⁾

“Patients have the right to file HIPAA complaints with their medical providers.” Under HIPAA —  the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act —  medical providers are required to investigate these complaints. When the providers break the law, you should sue them. ⁽⁸⁾

The Litigation Process

If you believe your private medical information was shared with a third party without your knowledge and permission, you may be able to join our class action lawsuit. You can also join on behalf of a loved one.

NewYork-Presbyterian’s activities violate the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights. The defendants also violated the American Medical Association Code of Medical Ethics, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and New York General Business Law Section 349. 

Your private information has monetary value. Our lawsuit is seeking equitable relief for our clients who are part of this class action suit. We are asking for:

• Restitution of the money the medical system obtained illegally. 
• Payment for credit monitoring services at least three years.
• An award of actual damages, compensatory damages, and statutory damages.
• An award of triple damages under Section 349.

Action Steps to Get Started

Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help

Weitz & Luxenberg has initiated a Facebook class action complaint against NewYork-Presbyterian. Its medical organization violated your trust. It tracked your private medical data without your knowledge. And then passed this information on to Facebook to make money — all without your consent. 

You can face many problems when your personally identifiable information gets into the wrong hands. It can be used to deny you health coverage, increase your insurance premiums, and be sold to other entities who can use it to steal your identity. 

Weitz & Luxenberg is a nationally recognized law firm with offices across the country. Our experience and success go back almost four decades. 

We are no stranger to complex class action lawsuits, and have the resources to fight for as long as it takes to secure a just outcome for you.

For more information, please contact us by calling (833) 977-3437 or filling out our online form.