MedTech DiveMedtronic Sued for Allegedly Sharing ‘Treasure Trove’ of Diabetes Patient Data with Google

Plaintiff Claims Medtronic’s InPen Diabetes Management System Compromised Patient Privacy for Profit

In a recent legal development, Medtronic is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing the company of sharing sensitive user data from its InPen diabetes management system with third parties, including Google. The lawsuit alleges that Medtronic’s actions not only violate privacy norms but also go beyond the terms stated in their own privacy notice.

HCN Medical Memo
For physicians relying on Medtronic’s InPen system to manage diabetes care, this lawsuit raises serious questions about the confidentiality and security of patient data. If the allegations are proven true, it could undermine trust in digital health solutions and necessitate a review of data-sharing practices within your healthcare setting.

Key Points

• A plaintiff has accused Medtronic of sharing user data from its InPen diabetes management system with companies like Google.
• The lawsuit claims that Medtronic’s MiniMed business acquired and disseminated sensitive personal information for marketing and analytics purposes, ultimately to increase revenue.
• The plaintiff finds the data sharing with Google “particularly problematic” due to the automatic linking of his Gmail account to his real identity.
• According to the lawsuit, Medtronic’s actions violate HIPAA and industry standards.
• Medtronic has launched an internal investigation but has not yet been served with a summons.

“Despite its unquestionable obligation to protect the confidentiality and security of Patients’ Private Information, MiniMed made the conscious decision to use Tracking Tools on its Digital Platforms to acquire very sensitive, personal information and data about Plaintiff’s and Class Members’ medical conditions and communications, which was disseminated to third parties, including Google, for marketing and analytics purposes and, ultimately, to increase revenue and profits.”
– Statement from the lawsuit

Additional Points

• Medtronic created the InPen app to help patients record insulin doses and share data with healthcare providers.
• The lawsuit cites a Medtronic case study that discusses the benefits of gathering insights through connected technologies.
• A Medtronic spokesperson stated that the company has strong processes in place to protect information and will review the complaint.

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