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A recent lawsuit against Costco alleges that the retail giant shared customer health information with Facebook's parent company, Meta.
According to the lawsuit filed with the Washington Western District Court, Costco used Meta Pixel, a third-party tracking database, on its website to disclose millions of Americans' private and protected communications, including highly personal health information, without customer consent.
The lawsuit alleges that Costco's actions violate state and federal laws.
Four California residents claim to have used Costco's pharmacy website to manage prescriptions and communicate private health care information. After visiting the website, they allege that some plaintiffs received targeted ads related to the personal medical information disclosed to the retailer.
As a result, Meta and other third parties allegedly received access to and collected confidential patient data without permission, resulting in an invasion of privacy.
The defendants are asking for a trial by jury and to be awarded damages determined at the trial or by the court.