The Private Sector Steps In To Protect Online Health Privacy, But Critics Say It Can’t Be Trusted
It’s easy to say some data — like genomic data — is health data. It’s thornier for other types of information. Researchers are repurposing seemingly ordinary data — like the tone of one’s voice — as an indicator of one’s health. So setting the right definition is likely to be a tricky task for any regulator.
For now, discussions — whether in the private sector or in government — are just that. Some companies are signaling their optimism that Congress might enact comprehensive privacy legislation. “Americans want a national privacy law,” Kent Walker, chief legal officer for Google, said at a recent event held by the R Street Institute, a pro-free-market think tank. “We’ve got Congress very close to passing something.”
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