LinkedIn, Google Sued Over Health-Exchange Info Interception (1)

LinkedIn Corp. and Google LLC collected the personal information of consumers who filled out forms on the website of Covered California, the state’s health-insurance exchange, without their consent, a proposed federal class action said.

The lead plaintiff alleged that tracking technology from LinkedIn and Google was incorporated on the Covered California website, allowing the tech companies to intercept consumers’ sensitive and confidential communications with Covered California.

Consumers have a reasonable expectation that medical and insurance information they provide to Covered California will remain remain private, according to a complaint filed April 29 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

But LinkedIn and Google intercepted their communications for use in targeted advertising without informing them or obtaining their consent, the complaint said.

LinkedIn said in a statement that its ads agreement prohibits the installation of its tools on web pages that contain sensitive or health-related data. “We don’t allow advertisers to target ads based on sensitive data or categories,” it said.

Google didn’t respond to a request for comment. Covered California, the state’s official health-insurance exchange under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, isn’t named as a defendant.

The plaintiff seeks to represent a nationwide class and a California subclass of people who filled out forms on the Covered California website and whose information was disclosed through the website to LinkedIn or Google. The plaintiff also seeks to represent a subclass of people with LinkedIn accounts who filled out forms on the website and whose information was disclosed to LinkedIn.

The complaint brings claims of invasion of privacy under the California Constitution and violations of the California Invasion of Privacy Act and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.

The plaintiff is seeking compensatory, statutory, and punitive damages; injunctive relief; disgorgement; attorneys’ fee and costs; and pre-judgment interest.

Bursor & Fisher PA represents the plaintiff and the proposed class.

The case is Doe v. LinkedIn Corp., N.D. Cal., No. 4:25-cv-03737, complaint filed 4/29/25.