Location Data as Health Data? Precedent-Setting Lawsuit Brought Against Retailer Under Washington’s My Health My Data Act
An online retailer was recently hit with the first class action under Washington’s consumer health data privacy law alleging that it used advertising software attached to certain third-party mobile phone apps to unlawfully harvest the locations and online marketing identifiers of tens of millions of users. This case highlights how seemingly innocuous location data can become sensitive health information through inference and aggregation, potentially setting the stage for a flood of similar copycat lawsuits.
