# Protecting Health Context

## Protecting Health Context in Audience Targeting

Freshpaint enables healthcare marketers to activate high-performing ad campaigns while maintaining strict privacy and compliance standards. This includes protecting any health-related context or PHI from being shared with advertising platforms.

This guide walks through how to:

1. Understand what health context means in ad targeting
2. Use alias naming safely
3. Avoid policy violations
4. Ensure creative and campaign compliance

### 1. Understand What “Health Context” Means

Health context refers to any identifier, term, or reference that implies a user’s health condition, treatment, or care. This includes direct PHI like diagnosis codes or indirect context such as:

* “diabetes\_patients\_Q3”
* “booked\_colonoscopy”
* “cancer\_reminder\_list”

{% hint style="warning" %}
Sharing any of the above through an ad platform — even in names — may expose you to HIPAA violations or violate platform policies.
{% endhint %}

### 2. Use Alias Naming to Stay Compliant

When importing or creating an audience, Freshpaint gives you the ability to set an **Alias** — this is the only field that gets shared with ad platforms like Meta or Google Ads.

We will **automatically generate a unique three-word alias** for you; this alias is the **only name shared with ad platforms** like Meta or Google Ads. It helps ensure privacy while enabling seamless syncing to destinations.

You’ll also set a **Name**, **Description**, and **Labels**, which stay inside Freshpaint and are not shared externally.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Only the alias is sent to ad platforms.**

Avoid using any language that could imply health conditions, procedures, or patient information.
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://1666823438-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MA7aDqsXMFbUsWVqonF%2Fuploads%2Frr8leLiHMm7pbEtl31J2%2FCreate%20segment%20(2).png?alt=media&#x26;token=fa62420d-cfef-4319-b092-4cdd10bb74a1" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

> ✅ Examples of safe alias names:
>
> * `cloud-pencil-drum`
> * `green-echo-bottle`
> * `north-star-radio`

> ❌ Avoid editing aliases to include:
>
> * `asthma_followup_group`
> * `colonoscopy_leads_Q3`
> * `cancer_retarget_list`

### 3. Avoid Platform Policy Violations

Ad platforms like Google and Meta prohibit targeting users based on sensitive health information. Even naming your audience improperly could trigger enforcement.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Google’s Customer Match policy**: “Do not upload lists that contain or imply sensitive information, including health conditions.”

[Read Google’s policy →](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6299717)
{% endhint %}

### 4. Exclude Original Audience in Lookalikes

When building **Lookalike** or **Similar** audiences:

* Always **exclude** the seed audience from your campaign targeting
* This ensures you're reaching net-new users, not just retargeting the same group

<figure><img src="https://1666823438-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MA7aDqsXMFbUsWVqonF%2Fuploads%2FRczkqvDwVEKOXDQnxxq4%2FAudiences_%E2%80%93_Figma%201.png?alt=media&#x26;token=c96cfd05-6bc9-429a-a888-4821a5b164b6" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

For integrations that might not automatically exclude the initial audience, we will warn you to manually exclude the audience.

### 💬 Need Help?

Not sure if your audience name is compliant? Our team is happy to advise.

📩 Reach us at <support@freshpaint.io>