On April 11, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had issued a proposed order prohibiting Monument Inc. (Monument), from disclosing health information for advertising to settle allegations that it disclosed users' health information to third-party advertising platforms without first obtaining informed consent from consumers in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act (the FTC Act). Background to the proposed order The FTC conducted an investigation into Monument which provides access to online support groups and online community groups discussing how to overcome alcohol addiction, insurance-covered therapy, and access to a physician to obtain prescriptions for medi
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USA: FTC files proposed order against Monument for sharing health data without consent
April 12, 2024
Summary
The FTC filed a proposed order against Monument Inc. for disclosing users' health information to third-party advertisers without informed consent, violating the FTC Act and OARFPA. Despite promising privacy and HIPAA compliance, Monument's practices included sharing data with Meta through APIs, which Meta could de-hash for targeted advertising. The FTC's investigation revealed Monument's privacy policy allowed such disclosures and the company lacked proper tracking of shared data. Monument faces a $2.5 million penalty and must implement a comprehensive privacy program, delete shared user data, and inform affected consumers.