Diagnosis trouble
It has been revealed that one NHS website lets Facebook track its users who are unwittingly sharing what potentially embarrassing ailments information they are searching for.
According to online privacy firm Garlik, the NHS has integrated its ‘Choices' site with Facebook's Connect platform so users of the NHS site can ‘like' a piece of information, with the two sites sharing that button option on their pages, PC Pro reported.
By ‘liking' a piece of information however, users of NHS Choices are reportedly unwittingly allowing Facebook to track their movements across the site including any illnesses they search for and there is no opt out option available.
Mischa Tuffield, the Garlik software developer that made the discovery, told the wesbite: "What right has the NHS to share any information about the browsing of NHS Choices with Facebook? The NHS is sharing this information out liberally and the users don't know it and can't opt out of sharing even if they did."
According to Tuffield the NHS also have links with Google and other tracking firms. She reportedly said: "So a young mother is logged on to Facebook talking to friends and is also looking for some advice about depression on NHS Choices and bingo - although she doesn't know it - Facebook now knows she has looked at this page."
A spokesperson from the NHS apparently tried to justify the practice to PC Pro by insisting the data exchange is mentioned in the privacy small print.
"The privacy policy, which is on the homepage of site, makes clear that when certain features from partners are used, like Facebook's 'Like' button, information relating to the date and time of your visit and other technical information will be collected by Facebook," the spokesperson reportedly said.
The spokesperson apparently implied it is down to web users to safeguard their own privacy when using NHS Choices. The spokesperson reportedly said: "People should log out of Facebook properly, not just close the window, to ensure no inadvertent data transfer."
However the NHS' defense did not seem to wash with Tuffield who reportedly said: "The sharing is mentioned in the NHS web site privacy policy, which means the NHS made a conscious decision to do this 'sharing' and that is even more astounding."
She also is said to believe that simply logging out of Facebook will not solve the problem as unless a user has wiped cookie information from their browser Facebook can still track pages with an integrated ‘Like' button.
Responding to the news, one MP has reportedly written to the health secretary in a bid to cull the NHS' tracking practice, Sky News reported.
In a letter to Andrew Lansley, MP Tom Watson reportedly wrote: "The NHS Choices website is used by members of the public in order to find out facts about ailments they may be suffering from and these illnesses could cause an individual embarrassment if the information was leaked."
However, the Department of Health has apparently said its privacy policies are ‘in line' and do not breach the Data Protection Act.
