California Cracks Down: Healthline Faces $1.55M CCPA Settlement Over Online Health Tracking

California Attorney General Rob Bonta just put businesses on notice: respect the CCPA or face the fallout.

On July 1, Bonta announced a $1.55 million settlement with Healthline Media, one of the world’s top health websites, over allegations it shared sensitive user data without proper consent. The site reportedly used tracking tools to pass along information, including content suggesting medical conditions, while ignoring consumer opt-out rights.

The case highlights California’s aggressive approach to privacy enforcement and signals that companies collecting consumer data, especially in sensitive sectors, need to tighten up fast.

What Healthline Allegedly Did Wrong

Healthline boosts ad revenue by allowing online trackers to collect visitor data, including article titles that can reveal medical conditions. For example, reading “You’ve Been Newly Diagnosed with MS” could signal a diagnosis to advertisers often without the user’s knowledge.

According to the DOJ, Healthline shared personal information for targeted ads even after users opted out, misused data for purposes beyond what was disclosed, and failed to include required privacy protections in contracts with advertisers. It also misled users with a cookie banner that claimed to block tracking but didn’t.

What the Settlement Requires

In addition to paying $1.55 million, Healthline must stop disclosing article titles that imply a diagnosis, fix its opt-out tools, review and update ad contracts to meet CCPA standards, and maintain accurate, transparent privacy policies.

What Businesses Should Know

If your website collects personal data, especially sensitive health information, this case is a warning. Respect opt-out requests, ensure your third-party contracts are compliant, and make sure your privacy tools do what they claim. California’s message is clear: privacy compliance is not optional.