The problem-plagued launch of the government’s official website for the Affordable Care Act was an embarrassment for the Obama administration from day one and now the Obamacare site - HealthCare.gov – is under fire again for reportedly sharing personal data of applicants with private advertising and marketing companies.
The Associated Press is reporting the news that the information on individuals going on the site to apply for Obamacare coverage included sensitive personal details like age, income, zip code, and whether the person in question smokes or is pregnant.
In addition, the user’s computer IP address was reportedly transferred to marketers as well, leading to the possibility that private companies could identify the person’s name or home address.
The report said up to 50 companies could be involved in the information transfer, including online giants Google, Twitter and Facebook. It’s not yet known whether the personal information of applicants is already being utilized for marketing purposes, but this is likely just a matter of time.
The report drew swift criticism by top legislators including Senators Orrin Hatch and Charles Grassley.
“This new information is extremely concerning, not only because it violates the privacy of millions of Americans, but because it may potentially compromise their security,” the two men said in a joint statement. “Sharing information for unofficial purposes is completely unacceptable.”
Ironically, the reported information breach was reported on the same day that President Barack Obama cited in the State of the Union address his stated priority to initiate tighter security measures to prevent cyber hack attacks and protect users privacy.
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