Undoubtedly in the reams of fine print to which you assented when you clicked a little box, you gave the online drugstores the right to do what they’re doing. From KFF Health News at childrenshealthdefense.org:
An investigation by The Markup and KFF Health News found trackers collecting browsing- and purchase-related data on websites of 12 of the U.S.’ biggest drugstores and sharing the sensitive information with companies like Meta (formerly Facebook), Google and Microsoft.
Looking for an at-home HIV test on CVS’ website is not as private an experience as one might think. An investigation by The Markup and KFF Health News found trackers on CVS.com telling some of the biggest social media and advertising platforms the products customers viewed.
And CVS is not the only pharmacy sharing this kind of sensitive data.
We found trackers collecting browsing- and purchase-related data on websites of 12 of the U.S.’ biggest drugstores, including grocery store chains with pharmacies, and sharing the sensitive information with companies like Meta (formerly Facebook); Google, through its advertising and analytics products; and Microsoft, through its search engine, Bing.
The tracking tools, popularly called “pixels,” collect information while a website runs. That information is often sent to social media firms and used to target ads, either to you personally or to groups of people that resemble you in demographics or habits.
In previous investigations, The Markup found pixels transmitting information from the U.S. Department of Education, prominent hospitals, telehealth startups, and major tax preparation companies.
Love that drugstore in Natural Born Killers, Drugworld RX.
Trust your mechanic, he got the white lab coat at Costco.
Honk, honk!