Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health reported that 585,959 patients were involved in a data breach stemming from the use of technology that may have transmitted their information to Big Tech companies.
The health system discovered that its patient portal (MyAtriumHealth, formerly MyCarolinas) contained tracking technology between January 2015 through July 2019 that may have sent users' personal and medical data to companies like Facebook and Google, according to a Dec. 2 notice. Atrium reported the number of patients affected to HHS' Office of Civil Rights.
"We apologize for any concern or inconvenience this may have caused and remain committed to protecting the confidentiality and security of our patients' information," the health system said in a statement. "We have and will continue to enhance our security controls, as appropriate, to minimize the risk of similar situations in the future."