"FTC to Crack Down on Biometric Tech, Health App Data Privacy Violations"

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) plans to update its Health Breach Notification Rule (HBNR) to clarify language regarding security breaches, user consent, and other functions, which will result in stricter enforcement for developers of consumer-driven health apps and technology. The FTC voted unanimously on May 18 to update the HBNR. A policy statement was also issued regarding its intent to combat unjust or deceptive practices associated with the collection, use, and marketing of biometric information and technologies. The risk of biometric technology breaches is directly related to the exposure of consumers' digital identities and their privacy. The FTC vote followed a second enforcement action taken under the HBNR against the developers of Premom on May 17 to resolve numerous privacy allegations, including that the fertility app and its parent company, Easy Healthcare, deceived users by sharing their personal and health information with third parties. In addition to a monetary penalty, the app developer must implement a number of adjustments to its privacy and security program and notify its users of the FTC settlement. This article continues to discuss the FTC unanimously agreeing to combat consumer privacy violations regarding biometric information and technology.

SC Media reports "FTC to Crack Down on Biometric Tech, Health App Data Privacy Violations"