Jefferson Healthcare Agrees to Settle Meta Pixel Class Action Litigation
Jefferson Healthcare has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged sensitive data was transmitted to third parties without patient consent due to its use of Meta Pixel and other tracking technologies on its website. Jefferson Healthcare serves residents of eastern Jefferson County on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. According to the lawsuit – Jane Doe et al. v. Jefferson County Public Hospital District No. 2 D/B/A Jefferson Healthcare – Jefferson Healthcare installed computer code, including Meta Pixel, on its website between March 19, 2020, and March 19, 2024.
The plaintiffs allege that the implementation of the code allowed their protected health information to be transmitted to third parties such as Facebook and Google without their knowledge or consent. The complaint was filed on March 19, 2024, and Jefferson Healthcare filed a motion to dismiss, which was granted in its entirety by Jefferson County Superior Court Judge Brandon Mack on July 24, 2024. On August 23, 2024, the plaintiff filed a Notice of Appeal with the Washington Court of Appeals.
The plaintiffs and the defendant agreed that a settlement was in the best interests of all parties to avoid the burden, expense, risk, and uncertainty of continuing the litigation. The terms of the settlement have now been agreed upon, and the settlement has received preliminary court approval. Under the terms of the settlement, class members are entitled to claim a voucher for a 12-month subscription to CyEx Privacy Shield, valued at $330.
Jefferson Healthcare has also agreed not to use Meta Pixel on its website for at least two years, unless it is determined that its use is consistent with applicable laws, and an affirmative disclosure is made in the privacy statement on its website that Meta Pixel is being used. Jefferson Healthcare has agreed to pay attorneys’ fees of $125,000, awards of $2,500 for the class representatives, and will cover the settlement administration costs.
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Class members wishing to exclude themselves or object to the settlement have until October 17, 2025, to do so. Claims for a voucher must be submitted by November 17, 2025, and the final approval hearing has been scheduled for December 5, 2025.
