FTC fines GoodRx for unauthorized sharing of health data

By FRANK BAJAK
AP Technology Writer

The Federal Trade Commission has imposed a $1.5 million penalty on telehealth and prescription drug discount provider GoodRx Holdings Inc. for sharing users’ personal health data with Facebook, Google and other third parties without their consent. In a first-of-its-kind enforcement, California-based GoodRx also accepted that it will be prohibited going forward from sharing user health data with third parties for advertising purposes. Consumer protection advocates are hailing Wednesday’s announcement as a potential game-changer that could seriously curtail a little-known phenomenon: The trafficking in sensitive health data by businesses not strictly classified as health care providers.