FTC Releases Complaint Alleging LabMD Failed To Protect Consumer Privacy

FTC Complaint Alleges Disclosure of Medical and Other Sensitive Information over Peer-to-Peer Network and Alleges Identity Thieves may have Obtained Sensitive Information

In August 2013, the Federal Trade Commission filed a petition in federal court to investigate Atlanta based medical testing laboratory LabMD, Inc. on suspicion that the company failed to reasonably protect the security of consumers' personal data, including medical information. The FTC claims that in two separate incidents, LabMD collectively exposed the personal information of approximately 10,000 consumers. As a result of those two incidents, the FTC now wants to investigate the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive consumer data – including health information; the disclosure of billing information of over 9,000 consumers was found on LimeWire, a peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing network, and how LabMD documents containing the sensitive personal information of at least 500 consumers were found in the