California fertility centers operator, Ivy Fertility, has been accused in a class action lawsuit of allegedly sharing private patient information with Meta, the parent company of Facebook. The suit alleges that this was done through a "pixel" embedded in Ivy Fertility's website and online chat portals.
The plaintiffs, identified as B.W. and Jane Doe, filed the case on behalf of themselves and others similarly affected. They are represented by attorneys John R. Parker Jr., from Almeida Law Group LLC, of Sacramento, and Daniel Srourian, of Srourian Law Firm, of Los Angeles.
The defendants named in the lawsuit are San Diego Fertility Center Medical Group Inc., and Ivy Fertility Services LLC. The complaint accuses them of violating various laws, including California privacy laws, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the California state constitution.
According to the complaint, fertility and reproductive health information is among the most confidential and sensitive data. The lawsuit alleges mishandling of such data can lead to serious consequences, like discrimination or denial of insurance coverage.
The plaintiffs are seeking to expand the action to include a class of thousands of additional plaintiffs.
The complaint seeks unspecified actual and punitive damages, plus attorney fees.
The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern California on Feb. 5.