Health Information Notice for Washington Residents

Last updated: March 31, 2024

This Washington Health Data Notice (“Notice”) applies and is directed solely to our Instacart customers who use our services in the state of Washington. This Notice explains how Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart (“Instacart”, “we”, or “us”) collects, uses, and shares Personal Information that, under the Washington My Health My Data Act, may be considered to relate to your health status (“Health Data”). “Personal Information” is information about you that we collect when you use the Instacart platform, including any websites, mobile applications, devices, or APIs where this Notice is linked (the “Services”).

This Notice does not apply to our pharmacy prescription delivery service or to any “personal health information” governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Please see the Instacart Privacy Policy for information about our pharmacy prescription delivery service.

Table of Contents:

1. Categories of Health Data We Collect

2. Sources from which we Collect Health Data

3. Uses of Health Data

4. Disclosures of Health Data

5. Request to Access your Health Data

6. Request to Delete your Health Data

7. Appeals

8. Changes to this Notice

9. Contact Information

1. Categories of Health Data We Collect

When you interact with our Services, we may collect certain categories of Health Data about you.  This could occur if, for example, you (i) interact with or purchase certain over-the-counter medicines or other health-related products, (ii) participate in certain Instacart Health programs (such as certain Fresh Funds programs) or (iii) provide us with your Health Data. The types of Health Data we collect may include: 

  • Data about your health-related conditions and status;  
  • Data about your reproductive or sexual health; and  
  • Data that could identify your attempt to seek health-related services.

2. Sources from Which We Collect Health Data

a. Information you provide. You may directly provide us with Health Data when you interact with our Services:  

  • Order information. If you place an order through the Services for over-the-counter medicines or other health-related products, we collect information necessary to fulfill the order, including the items you ordered. 
  • Instacart Health programs. We may collect Health Data about you if you participate in one of our Instacart Health programs. For example, if you participate in our Fresh Funds program and enter a Fresh Funds code to redeem your Fresh Funds credits, we collect the name of the Fresh Funds partner in whose program you participate, your Fresh Funds balance, the products you purchased using your Fresh Funds and other information in connection with the program.   
  • Health-related payment cards. When you pay for orders using a restricted health-related payment card, such as a Medicare Advantage or Medicaid card, we collect information that you are using a health benefit card. 
  • Interaction with your personal shopper. When you place an order for delivery, you may communicate with your personal shopper via the Services about product replacements or other aspects of your order. We collect the information contained in those communications, including any Health Data you may share with your shopper.  
  • Survey information. We may present you with a survey that you can complete about your shopping preferences so that we can better customize your shopping experience, such as whether you have pets or the number of members of your household.  As part of that survey, we may ask you whether you have any allergies or other health conditions.  
  • Consumer Research.  We may collect information about your medical conditions, nutrition preferences, health insurance programs, caregiver status and other health-related information if you select to participate in one of our consumer research projects.
  • Other information you provide. We collect any other information that you choose to provide to us while interacting with our Services, including information that you submit in connection with a search or “Ask Instacart” query, or information you provide during your interactions with our customer service representatives. If you disclose any Health Data during those communications, we collect that information. 

b. Information collected by automated means. When you use and interact with the Services, we automatically receive certain information about your activity:

  • Usage information. Our servers will record information about your usage of the Services. This information includes the types of storefronts you visit, the types of recipes, products or other pages that you navigate to, links that you click, and other ways that you interact with the Services.      
  • Cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies. We and our service providers may automatically collect information about you using device identifiers, cookies, pixels, and similar technologies. We use this information for various purposes, including to make the Services function properly, understand how you use the Services, and personalize your experience. 

c. Information received from third parties. We may receive Health Data about you from third parties. For example: 

  • Instacart Health partners. If you participate in one of our Instacart Health programs, such as a Fresh Funds program, we may receive information about you from the Instacart Health partner to manage the program. 
  • Retail partners. Some of our Retail partners provide us with the purchase histories of their loyalty members who are also Instacart customers so we can better personalize your shopping experience on our Services.  These purchase histories may include information about over-the-counter medicines or other health-related products you purchased.
  • Health-related partner sites. Partners who have implemented certain Instacart Services on their websites or applications may let us collect information about your use of their websites or applications or share such information with us. For example, if you use an Instacart Shoppable Recipe button on an Instacart health-themed partner’s website or application, we will receive information about your use of that button on that partner’s website or application. 
  • Other third parties. We also may collect or receive Health Data from:
  • Our payment processors and partners;
  • Other Instacart customers if they refer you to our Services, or send you a gift or other order delivery through our Services that includes over-the-counter medicines or other health-related products;
  • Instacart personal shoppers in connection with your delivery;
  • Companies with whom we work for measurement, attribution, and analytics;
  • Law enforcement, public health, and other governmental authorities.

3. Health Data Use

We use the Health Data we collect or otherwise obtain about you for the following purposes:  

  • Provide and manage the Services. We use your Health Data in connection with the provision, administration, and management of the Services. 
  • Process your orders. If you place an order through the Services for over-the-counter medicines or other health-related products, we will use your Health Data to process your payment and facilitate the delivery of your order.
  • Customize and personalize the Services. We use your Health Data to help us understand which parts of the Services are of most interest to you and customize or personalize your experience. Based on how you browse, use, or otherwise interact with the Services, we display content and recommendations and otherwise personalize the Services to you.
  • Abandoned cart. We use technologies to help keep track of the items you put into your cart, including when you have abandoned your cart, and use this information to determine when to send a cart reminder.
  • Analysis. We use your Health Data to perform business analyses or for other purposes designed to improve the quality of our business and the Services we offer.
  • Managing and operating our IT systems. We use your Health Data to help us in troubleshooting, testing, maintaining, and protecting our IT systems.
  • Provide customer support. We use your Health Data to respond to your customer support communications and inquiries and assist you in your use of the Services.
  • Communicate with you. We may use your Health Data to provide you with relevant information about us or our Services. 
  • Maintain security and prevent fraud. We may use your Health Data to (a) help maintain the security and integrity of the Services, (b) detect, prevent, investigate, and protect you, our business, our users, and others from fraud, unauthorized transactions, and other unsafe activity, and (c) protect the safety, rights, or property of any person, the public, or Instacart.
  • Satisfy our legal obligations. We use your Health Data to comply with applicable laws and regulations, respond to legal process, and/or respond to requests and communications from law enforcement authorities or other government officials. 
  • As otherwise necessary or appropriate. We will use your Health Data for other purposes at your direction or with your consent and in compliance with applicable laws.  

4. Health Data Disclosure

We may disclose your Health Data to the following categories of recipients: 

  • Our affiliates and subsidiaries. We may disclose your Health Data to our affiliates, subsidiaries, and other companies under common control and ownership for purposes consistent with this Notice. 
  • Our service providers and third-party partners. We disclose your Health Data to third parties that provide services to us that are necessary for us to run our Services, including: cloud storage services; system hosting services; data security services; fraud prevention; payment processing services; delivery services; and analytics services.    
  • Personal shoppers. If you place an order through the Services, we will disclose your Health Data to the personal shopper who will pick it up and deliver it to you.  
  • Our retail partners. We may disclose your Health Data to our retail partners on whose stores you placed orders for over-the-counter medicines or or other health-related products in order to provide and maintain the Services. We will also disclose your Health Data to specific retailer partners when you enter your loyalty card information from that retail partner so that your purchases of over-the-counter medicines or other health-related products can be credited to your loyalty card account.
  • Instacart Health partners.  If you participate in one of our Instacart Health programs, such as a Fresh Funds program, we will share your Health Data with the partner in whose program you participate.
  • Legal matters. We may share your Health Data when we believe that the disclosure is reasonably necessary to comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes and requests; or to allow us to pursue available remedies or limit damages that we may sustain.  
  • Sale or business transaction. We may sell or purchase assets during the normal course of business. If another entity acquires us or any of our assets, information that we have collected may be transferred to such entity and its advisors leading up to and/or following the transaction. In addition, if any bankruptcy or reorganization proceeding is brought by or against us, information that we hold may be considered an asset of ours and may be sold or transferred to third parties.
  • Other third parties. We will disclose your Health Data to other parties at your direction or with your consent. We may also disclose your Health Data to other parties if we believe it necessary (a) to protect and continue to provide our Services; and (b) to protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property, and/or those of others.     

5.  Request to Access your Health Data

You may request that Instacart provide you with a copy of your Personal Information, which includes your Health Data. Prior to processing your request, we must verify your identity to help ensure we do not provide your information to another person. 

  • Account Holders. If you have an active Instacart account, click here to submit a request to access  your Personal Information. You will be prompted to re-log in to the Services.
  • Non-Account Holders. If you no longer have access to your Instacart account, please email us at [email protected] to submit your request. 

6.  Request to Delete your Health Data

You may request that Instacart delete your Personal Information, which includes your Health Data. Prior to processing your request, we must verify your identity to help ensure you are the person making the request.  

Important: Because in some cases we cannot decouple Health Data from your other Personal Information, your request to delete your Health Data will be processed as a request to delete all of your Personal Information. Following a request to delete your Health Data, you will no longer have access to your Instacart account.  

  • Account Holders. If you have an active Instacart account, click here to submit a request to delete your Personal Information. You will be prompted to re-log in to the Services.
  • Non-Account Holders. If you no longer have access to your Instacart account, please email us at [email protected] to submit your request. 

7. Appeals

If we do not act on your request to access or delete your Health Data, you may appeal our decision by emailing us at [email protected] with the subject line “Appeal.”

 

8. Changes to this Notice

We may occasionally update this Notice to reflect changes in our practices with respect to the collection, use, and disclosure of Personal Information and/or changes in applicable law. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page indicates when this Notice was last revised. If we make changes, we will revise the date at the top of this Notice and, in the case of material changes to this Notice, we may provide you with additional notice (such as a notice posted on the Services or a message delivered to the email address that we have on file for you).

9. Contact Us. 

If you have questions about this Notice, please contact:

Instacart

50 Beale Street, Suite 600

San Francisco, California 94105

[email protected] 

1-888-246-7822

If you have a disability and would like to access this Notice in an alternative format, please contact us at (888) 317-8968. Instacart is committed to making its electronic and information technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you have comments concerning this website’s accessibility, please contact us at [email protected].