Cedars-Sinai Data Privacy Lawsuit: Court Ruling Keeps Fight in State Court

Californians who believe Cedars-Sinai Health System improperly shared their medical information with tech giants like Google and Meta (Facebook) can keep their fight in state court, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday. This decision is a win for patients who worry their personal details may have been leaked.

Patients Sue Over Alleged Data Sharing with Tech Companies

According to Bloomberg Law, the legal battle stems from three separate class action lawsuits filed in December 2022 by Cedars-Sinai patients. The patients allege the hospital system used hidden tracking software on its website that collected their personal information, including potentially sensitive health data, and sent it to tech companies without their knowledge or consent. This alleged data sharing could be a violation of patients' privacy rights and California state laws.

Specifically, the lawsuits take aim at Cedars-Sinai's use of "cookies" and "pixels" - tiny bits of code that track website visitors' activity. This information can include browsing habits and potentially health information gleaned from searches or online forms. The lawsuits argue that Cedars-Sinai failed to get proper permission, either through a contract with the tracking companies or by asking patients directly, before sending their data out.

Cedars-Sinai Tried to Move Case to Federal Court, But Lost

Cedars-Sinai attempted to move the lawsuits from California state court to federal court, arguing that federal jurisdiction applied because the hospital system was essentially acting as a federal agent when it developed and operated its website. However, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected this argument.

The court ruled that Cedars-Sinai was not carrying out a core governmental function in designing and maintaining its website. Additionally, the court found that Cedars-Sinai was not acting under specific congressional authority.

This decision aligns with recent rulings by other federal courts and highlights the limitations of the "federal officer removal" statute, which allows defendants to remove certain cases from state to federal court if they believe they were acting on behalf of the federal government. The Ninth Circuit found that Cedars-Sinai's website operations did not meet the legal threshold for federal officer removal.

The appeals court's decision means the lawsuits against Cedars-Sinai can now proceed in California state court.

What the Cedars-Sinai Ruling Means for Your Health Privacy Online

Imagine going to the hospital website to schedule an appointment or refill a prescription, and unknowingly having your search history or health concerns sent off to tech companies. That's the worry for Cedar-Sinai patients right now, and this case could impact how you use healthcare websites everywhere.

• Your health info could be exposed: The alleged data sharing in this case involved patients' browsing habits and potentially sensitive health data. If it's happening here, it could be happening on other healthcare websites you visit.
  
  
• More control over your data: The outcome of this lawsuit could set a standard for how healthcare providers handle your information online. This could mean you have more say in how your data is used.
  
  
• Possible compensation: If the lawsuits against Cedars-Sinai are successful, it could open the door for other patients to seek compensation for similar privacy violations.

This case is a wake-up call to be mindful about your privacy online, especially when visiting healthcare websites. It's a good idea to check how the site handles your data and consider using privacy settings on your browser to protect your information.