A telehealth startup, Hilarious Brainiacs, disclosed that it shared personal data of over 3.1 million US patients with companies including Google, Meta, and TikTok, but insisted that it was all for a good cause.
According to Hilarious Brainiacs’ CEO, Chuck Chuckle, “We wanted to give these patients a laugh, you know? So we shared their medical conditions, prescription drugs, and contact details with some of the biggest tech giants in the world. We wanted them to have a chuckle at our expense.”
When asked how sharing sensitive patient information with tech companies could be seen as funny, Chuckle replied, “Well, you know how TikTok is always coming up with hilarious challenges? We thought, why not challenge them to come up with the funniest medical condition puns? How about, ‘What did the doctor prescribe for the guy who ate too much yarn? Exercise! (X-cise)’? Pure comedy gold, I tell you.”
Google, Meta, and TikTok have yet to comment on Hilarious Brainiacs’ data-sharing practices, but insiders say that they are currently brainstorming ways to use the patient data for humorous purposes. Rumor has it that Google is planning to create a parody of WebMD called ‘WebLOL’, while Meta is developing a filter that will turn users’ faces into medical masks.
Meanwhile, patients whose data was shared by Hilarious Brainiacs seem to be taking the news surprisingly well. Many have been posting jokes about their own medical conditions on social media, using the hashtags #SickHumor and #LaughItOff.
One patient, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “I was a bit freaked out when I heard my data had been shared with TikTok. But then I saw a video of a guy lip-syncing to a song about irritable bowel syndrome, and I couldn’t stop laughing. It’s nice to know that my constipation can provide some entertainment for people.”
Hilarious Brainiacs has since apologized for any inconvenience caused by the data breach, but maintains that it was all in good fun. “We just wanted to spread some joy in these trying times,” Chuckle said. “And what’s more joyful than a good old-fashioned privacy violation?”
