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- Consumer Health Data Collection and Use
Consumer Health Data Collection and Use
This notice supplements our Privacy Policy and applies to information defined as “consumer health data” subject to state consumer health privacy laws, such as the Washington State “My Health, My Data Act.” As outlined in our Privacy Policy, the information gathered by RealSelf depends on the nature of your interactions with our services, the choices you make, the products and features you engage with, and your geographic location. The scope of consumer health data is extensive, and many of the categories of data collected by RealSelf can be broadly construed as falling under this designation.
Categories of consumer health data may encompass:
Data about your specific health issues or concerns, that you post to RealSelf in patient reviews, forum questions, comments, or other RealSelf interactive services, or that you provide to RealSelf customer support.
Data identifying efforts to seek health care services or information, including questions on RealSelf related to aesthetic medicine or other health-related topics, searches for providers offering particular medical services, and contact with providers using RealSelf tools.
Other information that could be used to infer or derive health-related data.
Location information relating to efforts to seek health services, such as data collected when using the mapping functionality on RealSelf to locate a provider.
Information pertaining to health-related conditions and treatments, obtained through surveys or other communications for research and product enhancement purposes.
Sources of Consumer Health Data
As detailed in the “Information RealSelf Collects” section of our Privacy Policy, we acquire personal data, including consumer health data, from direct interactions with you, your engagement with our products and services, third-party sources, and publicly available information.
Purpose of Collecting and Using Consumer Health Data
Consumer health data is collected and utilized for the purposes detailed in the “How RealSelf Uses Information” section of our Privacy Policy. Primarily, we collect and use this data to provide the RealSelf products and services you access, ensure the security of our operations, improve our products, and support essential business operations. Additionally, we may use consumer health data for purposes where choices and consent are provided, such as advertising or marketing.
Sharing of Consumer Health Data
We may share each category of consumer health data for purposes described in the “When RealSelf Discloses Information” section of our Privacy Policy. Sharing is done with your consent or as reasonably necessary to complete transactions or provide authorized products. Categories of third parties with which consumer health data may be shared include:
Service providers: Companies assisting in providing RealSelf services, customer service support, and system protection.
Business partners: Collaboration with other companies for co-branded or jointly operated services.
Financial institutions & payment processors: Disclosure of payment and transactional data for processing, fraud prevention, and related financial services.
Parties to a corporate transaction: Disclosure as part of mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcies, or business transfers.
Affiliates: Access to data across subsidiaries, affiliates, and related companies.
Government agencies: Disclosure to comply with applicable law or legal processes.
Other third parties: Provision of data to protect rights or comply with the law.
Other users and individuals: Sharing data based on user interactions and directions.
The public: Options for publicly displaying certain information through our services.
Exercising Your Rights
State laws relating to consumer health data offer protections including access, deletion, or consent withdrawal with respect to consumer health data, with certain exceptions. Refer to the “Consumer Rights and Access” section of our Privacy Policy for more details and to exercise these rights, or contact us directly at privacy@realself.com. If any request related to your data is denied, you can appeal through our privacy support team, and if unsuccessful, file a complaint with the consumer protection office of the Attorney General’s office of the state in which you reside.
Last Updated: 2/26/24