The suit alleges that Costco inappropriately used Meta Pixel, a third-party tracking database
Supermarket News Staff | Oct 13, 2023
A recent lawsuit filed against Costco alleges that the wholesale retailer inappropriately shared customer health information with Facebook’s parent company, Meta, according to reporting from SFGATE.
The lawsuit, which was filed with the Washington Western District Court on Friday, alleges that Costco used Meta Pixel, a third-party tracking database, on its website to “surreptitiously disclose millions of Americans’ private and protected communications, including their highly personal health information,” without customer consent.
The complaint lists four California residents who said they used Costco’s pharmacy website to manage prescriptions and communicate private health care information. The lawsuit alleges that after visiting the Costco website, some of the plaintiffs received targeted ads relating to the private medical information disclosed to the retailer.
“Consequently, Meta, and potentially other third parties, obtained access to and collected confidential patient data without the patients’ authorization, resulting in a significant invasion of patient privacy and disclosure of sensitive data,” the complaint continues.
The defendants are requesting a trial by jury, as well as an award of damages either determined at trial or by the court.