Therapy Platform Headway Illegally Shares Private User Data with LinkedIn, Class Action Suit Claims [UPDATE]
Last Updated on January 21, 2025
A. G. v. Therapymatch, Inc.
Filed: September 23, 2024 ◆§ 1:24-cv-08776
Headway faces a class action over its alleged use of tracking technology to secretly share website visitors’ confidential data with LinkedIn.
Illinois
October 8, 2024 – Headway Responds to Data Sharing Class Action Lawsuit
In response to the proposed class action lawsuit detailed on this page, a Headway spokesperson provided the following statement in an email to ClassAction.org:
“The allegations in this complaint are meritless. This is one of hundreds of similar lawsuits brought about by predatory firms attempting to extort companies for standard settings on their public company websites. This lawsuit does not involve any patient care or clinical information. In an ever-changing online environment, Headway upholds all privacy and security standards. We will continue to vigilantly protect patient and provider information and work to make Headway the most trusted platform for mental health care providers and their patients.”
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Online healthcare platform Headway faces a proposed class action lawsuit over its alleged use of tracking technology to secretly share website visitors’ confidential data with LinkedIn.
Get the latest open class action lawsuits sent to your inbox. Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter.
According to the 30-page privacy lawsuit, when a consumer with a LinkedIn account visits Headway.co to find a mental health provider or schedule a therapy appointment, built-in tracking code known as the LinkedIn Insight Tag automatically transmits their sensitive information and online activity to the third party without the user’s knowledge or consent.
LinkedIn then uses the data for targeted advertising purposes, the complaint says.
The case claims that Headway’s surreptitious use of web-tracking software is a plain violation of federal privacy laws, which bar healthcare providers from disclosing a patient’s personal and medical information without their express written permission.
Per the class action suit, the tracking code embedded on the platform, operated by defendant Therapymatch, Inc., begins recording a visitor’s movements “the moment they enter[] the Headway website.” If a consumer schedules a therapy appointment, the tracker collects and discloses the name of their therapist, the medical reasons for a new booking, and the date and time of the appointment, the filing relays.
The technology also intercepts certain website cookies that allow LinkedIn to identify its accountholders and fuel its marketing efforts, the lawsuit contends.
The suit alleges that Headway’s data-sharing practices are an “egregious” violation of users’ protected privacy rights.
“When patients engage in online therapy, they must be able to trust that their information is protected from unauthorized disclosure to third parties. When patients know their information is secure, they are more likely to pursue the support they need without fear of judgment or exposure. This is particularly important in therapy, where societal stigma around mental health can already be a barrier to accessing care.”
The Headway lawsuit looks to represent any LinkedIn accountholders in the United States, excluding California, who have booked a therapy appointment on Headway.co within the applicable statute of limitations period.
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