Healthcare service provider in the US says third-party trackers leaked info of 13.4 million people

Kaiser Permanente, a major US-based integrated managed care consortium, has disclosed a data leak that may have exposed the personal information of 13.4 million individuals.

The company told BleepingComputer that the data security incident was caused by third-party trackers on its mobile application and websites.

“Kaiser Permanente has determined that certain online technologies, previously installed on its websites and mobile applications, may have transmitted personal information to third-party vendors Google, Microsoft Bing, and X (Twitter) when members and patients accessed its websites or mobile applications,” a spokesperson told investigators at BleepingComputer.

The leaked info may have included:

• Names and IP addresses
• Data linked to how patients or members interacted with the apps and websites
• Search terms used in the health encyclopedia

The health care provider said no sensitive information, such as passwords, usernames, Social Security Numbers, or financial data, was collected or shared.

Kaiser Permanente says it discovered and removed the trackers in an internal investigation and will take preventive measures to prevent further incidents.  Additionally, despite a lack of evidence of misuse of potentially exposed data, the company will begin to formally notify all interested parties, including former and current patients who interacted with its platforms and mobile applications.

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