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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Shanti Das

UK mental health charities handed sensitive data to Facebook for targeted ads

People seeking help online would expect their browsing to be private.
People seeking help online would expect their browsing to be private. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

Some of Britain’s biggest charities providing support for people with mental health problems shared details of sensitive web browsing with Facebook for use in its targeted advertising system.

The data was sent via a tracking tool embedded in the charities’ websites and included details of webpages a user visited and buttons they clicked across content linked to depression, self-harm and eating disorders.

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