HealthCareInfoSecurity.com reported “A federal court has tossed a proposed class action lawsuit filed against CRH Healthcare that alleged the Georgia firm unlawfully disclosed patient information by using web tracking tools.” The August 6, 2026 article entitled ” Court Tosses Web Tracker Suit Against CRH Healthcare” (https://tinyurl.com/3u2pkn6e) included these comments about the lawsuit:
The use of web tracking pixels that transmit healthcare website and patient portal users’ to third-party marketing and advertising firms has been the subject of many data breach investigations, regulatory enforcement actions and proposed civil class action lawsuits over the last several years. Those cases typically end up with settlements for plaintiffs and class members, or government fines. But not always.
Such was the case last week in the dismissal by a federal judge who found that the plaintiff in a proposed civil class action lawsuit against CRH Healthcare failed to show how she was harmed by the practice. CRH Healthcare does business as Peachtree Immediate Care and operates more than 70 urgent care clinics in Georgia.
Jane Doe, the plaintiff – a Peachtree patient – in her amended complaint filed in January lodged an assortment of claims concerning the organization’s use on its website of tracking technologies, such as Google Analytics, that she alleged unlawfully transmitted and disclosed her and class members’ protected health information and personally identifiable information to third parties.
CRH Healthcare’s website enables patients to schedule medical appointments, locate treatment facilities, pay bills, search medical specialties and treatment options, obtain telehealth services and manage other actions online.
But CRH Healthcare’s use of tracking technologies on its website “creates a comprehensive surveillance system that follows users across the internet, collecting and aggregating data about their most private activities, including their healthcare needs and medical conditions, all without meaningful notice or consent,” the lawsuit alleged.
Among other claims, the plaintiff argued that she thought her online communications and disclosures with CRH were solely between herself and the defendants and that such communications and disclosures wouldn’t be transmitted to or disclosed to a third party such as Google.
But on July 29, the federal court dismissed that allegation with prejudice along with the plaintiff’s other claims – which included negligence and negligence per se; breach of fiduciary duty; breach of implied contract; breach of express contract; unjust enrichment; and violations of the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
The court ruling gives the plaintiff 14 days to file a second amended complaint, or the case will be permanently dismissed.
Interesting ruling, what do you think?
First punished at https://www.vogelitlaw.com/blog/patient-wasnt-harmed-so-judge-dismisses-a-web-tracker-lawsuit