Two investigations in The Markup’s Pixel Hunt series are finalists for the 2024 National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation Data-Driven Storytelling Award. The award recognizes excellence in health reporting that is data-driven, sparks policy change, broadly informs the public, and/or stimulates conversation on timely issues, among other criteria.
In two investigations, The Markup discovered and disclosed to readers that we found the Meta Pixel sharing sensitive data about people who were visiting dozens of websites tied to the national mental health crisis 988 hotline and 12 of the largest drug stores. Each reporting effort resulted in tangible impact, from lawsuits to companies removing the pixel after we alerted them:
- Need to Get Plan B or an HIV Test Online? Facebook May Know About ItTwelve of the largest drug stores in the U.S. sent shoppers’ sensitive health information to Facebook or other platforms, according to an investigation by The Markup and KFF Health News
- Suicide Hotlines Promise Anonymity. Dozens of Their Websites Send Sensitive Data to FacebookThe Markup found many sites tied to the national mental health crisis hotline transmitted information on visitors through the Meta Pixel
- Three Class Action Lawsuits Follow Markup Pixel InvestigationsRiteAid and Meta face proposed class actions, California attorneys filed RICO suit against H&R Block, Meta, and Google
A big congratulations to everyone who has worked on this series. Congratulations as well to our partner KFF Health News, who coreported our drug store investigation.
The Markup is continuing to investigate websites that have shared sensitive data through the Meta Pixel and other trackers. In November 2023, we found that Facebook watches teens online as they prep for college.
Follow our full Pixel Hunt series for our investigations and impact. Congratulations to all of this year’s NIHCM award finalists.
Credits
- The Markup
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Photo by Japheth Mast on Unsplash