In a worrisome revelation, dozens of mental health crisis center websites across the United States, which are designed to ensure the anonymity of users, have been discovered to discreetly transfer sensitive visitor data to Facebook, according to an investigation by The Markup. These websites, linked to the national mental health crisis 988 hotline, reportedly transmit user data through a tool known as Meta Pixel. This breach of privacy, particularly significant given the sensitive nature of the data involved, exposes users in critical emotional states to potential data misuse.
Launched the previous summer, the national 988 hotline network includes a variety of local crisis center websites. These sites send Facebook signals when visitors attempt to make crisis calls by clicking specific call buttons. In some instances, the data sent to Facebook also contained hashed versions of names and email addresses that could potentially be unscrambled.
The findings of The Markup revealed that over 30 out of 186 tested crisis center websites utilized Meta Pixel, previously known as Facebook Pixel. This pixel, a brief code snippet included on a webpage to enable Facebook advertising, is a prevalent and freely available tool, used by 30% of the web’s most popular sites as per a 2020 Markup investigation.
The degree to which visitor behavior was tracked varied across websites. At the least, all sites recorded a homepage visit, but some captured more potentially sensitive data. Clicking specific call buttons or filling out forms on these websites could trigger a signal to Facebook, sharing information about user activities or even personally identifiable data.
For instance, the Volunteers of America Western Washington’s website uses a pixel that tracks visits and actions such as clicking on the “call or text 988” button. This click, along with an “external ID” used by Facebook to match web users to their accounts, was sent to Facebook. In cases where a user filled out a contact form, even more personal information, like hashed versions of names and email addresses, were transmitted to Facebook.
The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.
CashApp us
Venmo us
Paypal us
Facebook, through the pixel data, can link website visitors to their Facebook accounts, regardless of whether the visitor owns an account. Although the names and email addresses transmitted are hashed, they can still be unscrambled using freely available web services.
Following The Markup’s report, several crisis centers stated their unawareness of the code’s presence and committed to its removal. Some responses, however, like the one from the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, indicate that the pixel was intentionally placed on their site, albeit for staffing advertisements, and that they would now restrict its information-gathering to only careers pages.
It is crucial to note that while Meta prohibits transmitting sensitive information through the pixel, such as details about mental health, its enforcement seems less than foolproof. The Markup’s research discovered that several major services have inadvertently sent sensitive information to Facebook via the pixel, resulting in several lawsuits.
In light of these developments, critics assert that Meta is collecting excessive data through the pixel. Furthermore, the launch of the 988 hotline has ignited debates around privacy and anonymity, particularly about the tracking of callers without their consent. The findings emphasize the need for stringent regulations and practices to ensure the privacy and safety of users seeking help through these crucial services.
The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.
CashApp us
Venmo us
Paypal us
