Data Privacy

Senator Calls on FTC, SEC to Crack Down on Location Data Misuse

February 14, 2024 - US Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairs urging them to hold a data broker accountable for alleged misleading statements about its actions surrounding the use and sale of reproductive health location data. Wyden’s concerns stemmed from a May 2023...


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Joint Commission Launches Certification Program For Responsible Health Data Use

by Jill McKeon

The Joint Commission has launched the Responsible Use of Health Data (RUHD) Certification program, a voluntary program aimed at providing hospitals, patients, and other key stakeholders with an...

How Digital Health Companies Navigate the Patchwork of State Data Privacy Laws

by Jill McKeon

Navigating compliance with HIPAA, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act, and other major statutes is a complex process for any organization. However, these laws apply nationwide, making it easier for organizations that operate in...

Senator Seeks Stakeholder Feedback on Improving Health Data Privacy

by Jill McKeon

Healthcare stakeholders have an opportunity to provide feedback to the Senate on improving health data privacy in the US, thanks to a request from US Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a ranking member of...

10 Senators Call On Google to Uphold Location, Health Data Privacy Practices

by Jill McKeon

A group of 10 United States Senators penned a letter to Google asking for answers about its location data privacy practices. In July 2022, Google announced plans to delete location history when users...

Washington State Passes My Health, My Data Act to Safeguard Health Data Privacy

by Jill McKeon

Washington state Governor Jay Inslee signed the My Health My Data Act (House Bill 1155) into law, bolstering health data protections for Washington residents. The act aims to modernize the...

How FTC Enforcement Actions Will Impact Telehealth Data Privacy

by Jill McKeon

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) made its stance on health data privacy and security abundantly clear with two recent high-profile settlements against GoodRx and BetterHelp, setting the stage for future enforcement actions and heightened...

Data Breach Lawsuits Tied to Tracking Pixel Use On the Rise In Healthcare

by Jill McKeon

As data breach notifications tied to the use of tracking pixels continue to surface, experts have observed a wave of lawsuits following close behind. BakerHostetler observed more than 50 lawsuits being...

Nearly All US Acute Care Hospitals Transfer Data to Third Parties, Study Finds

by Jill McKeon

University of Pennsylvania researchers found third-party tracking technologies on nearly all US nonfederal acute care hospital websites, a Health Affairs study revealed. Researchers studied all US...

FTC Proposes $7.8M Settlement With BetterHelp Over Improper Health Data Sharing

by Jill McKeon

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a $7.8 million settlement with online counseling service BetterHelp, resolving allegations of improper health data sharing practices. In addition, the...

Senators Introduce UPHOLD Privacy Act to Prevent Use of Health Data For Advertising

by Jill McKeon

US Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced the Upholding Protections for Health and Online Location Data (UPHOLD) Privacy Act,...

FTC Warns Amazon About Improper Health Data Sharing Following One Medical Acquisition

by Jill McKeon

Following Amazon’s finalized acquisition of membership-based primary care practice One Medical, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent a letter to Amazon reminding it of its obligations to...

Telehealth Companies Under Scrutiny For Allegedly Sharing Health Data With Third-Party Advertisers

by Jill McKeon

Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) sent letters to telehealth companies Cerebral, Monument, and WorkIt Health, addressing concerns...

Top Healthcare Cybersecurity, IoT, Privacy Vendors Achieve Best in KLAS Status

by Jill McKeon

Duo, Imprivata, and Medigate by Claroty, were among the variety of vendors that achieved “Best in KLAS” status in the newly released 2023 Best in KLAS: Software & Services...

Breach Reporting Requirements Are Top Concern For Security Teams

by Sarai Rodriguez

Cybersecurity leaders are buckling up for rising costs, a challenging talent shortage, and uncertain data breach reporting requirements going into 2023, according to a Deepwatch Q4 2022 SecOps...

MA Executive Order Confronts Increasing Cybersecurity Threats

by Sarai Rodriguez

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has signed an executive order aiming to protect infrastructure organizations from the overall increase in cybersecurity threats. Led by the Secretary of the...

FTC, HHS Update Mobile Health App Data Privacy Compliance Tool

by Jill McKeon

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and HHS updated their Mobile Health App Interactive Tool, designed to help mobile health app developers understand which data privacy laws apply to their apps. The...

3 Trends From the HIMSS Healthcare Cybersecurity Forum

by Jill McKeon

Experts gathered in Boston on December 5 and 6 for the HIMSS Healthcare Cybersecurity Forum to explore topics such as risk quantification, clinical perspectives on cybersecurity, and medical device security. Speakers included leaders from...

10 State AGs Call on Apple to Bolster Reproductive Health Data Privacy in App Store

by Jill McKeon

A group of ten state attorneys general penned a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook urging the tech company to address gaps in reproductive health data privacy, particularly as it applies to third-party apps...