Labcorp Holdings Inc. has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the nation's largest independent clinical laboratory network allowed third-party tracking technologies to intercept users' personal information and search queries on its website.
The company reached the settlement without admitting wrongdoing and denies all allegations that it violated wiretapping and electronic communications laws in California and Pennsylvania. The agreement, which requires court approval, reveals how little transparency exists around data collection at major healthcare portals.
Between May 1, 2021, and April 1, 2026, anyone who performed searches on Labcorp's website may have had their personal identifying information and search queries captured by third-party tracking software embedded in the site. In healthcare, search queries are sensitive — people search for rare diseases, embarrassing conditions and test results tied to their most private medical moments.
Labcorp processes roughly 2 billion test results annually, and hundreds of millions of Americans interact with its services every year, either directly or through their doctors' offices.
Under the settlement terms, Labcorp agreed only to injunctive relief — essentially, promises to change its business practices going forward. No monetary damages will be paid to settlement class members, who retain a theoretical right to pursue separate claims for money. The settlement structure makes doing so practically impossible for individuals. The plaintiffs' lawyers will receive attorney fees and expenses as determined by the court, paid by Labcorp.
The settlement agreement defines the affected group broadly as anyone who entered search terms into Labcorp's website or selected options from dropdown menus during the five-year period — potentially millions of people. Class members cannot opt out of the settlement.
The settlement documents do not specify which third parties collected the data, where the information went, how many people were affected or what was done with the data. Labcorp agreed to implement unspecified new practices and allegedly strengthen its data handling procedures, but without knowing what those practices entail or how they'll be monitored, the public has no way to assess whether anything substantive changed.
Class members can file objections to the settlement by Nov. 23, 2026. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina will hold the final approval hearing.
More information is available at www.LaboratoryCorporationWebsiteSettlement.com or by calling 1-877-378-7520.
