Your Phone Knows You’re at the Doctor, and Data Brokers Do, Too — Then Profit From It The sensitive information is used for targeted ads, often touting unproven treatments. By Michael Scaturro Illustration by Oona Zenda Oct. 30, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/health-industry/data-brokers-phone-location-tracking-sensitive-medical-data-targeted-ads/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--HBmlG15-cotOoI-HHgVEJ_y3x2_THigrq0BxtrTVmt0cTCn70Xe9BOvou_RNwUlnqSjm-b3We1OeWfgaPFybg2gafsQ&_hsmi=446762867&utm_content=446762867&utm_source=hs_email Your Phone Knows You’re at the Doctor, and Data Brokers Do, Too — Then Profit From It By Michael Scaturro and Oona Zenda The Federal Trade Commission told a data company it could no longer sell data it collected from hundreds of millions of Americans’ mobile devices when people visited hospitals, dialysis clinics, or abortion clinics. But little is stopping other companies from doing so. In the absence of federal protections, some states are passing their own rules.