"Proposed Public Health Emergency Bill Targets COVID-19 Tech Privacy"

The Public Health Privacy Act was recently introduced by a group of Democratic Senators and Congressional members to address issues regarding the privacy and security of technologies used for COVID-19 response. These technologies include contact tracing apps, vaccine monitoring tools, and digital monitoring tools. The bill aims to tackle a common issue faced by many of these third-party technologies, which is the fact that most of them do not fall under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The 51 percent increase in cyberattacks on healthcare web apps since the beginning of vaccine distribution, as well as the performance of third-party tracking via the majority of COVID-19 sites, have further ignited concerns about security and privacy. The proposed legislation will enforce privacy and data security rights for health information. The bill would protect the civil liberties of those using COVID-19-related technologies to bolster public trust, which will, in turn, increase the use of such technologies and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. It would also help healthcare leaders use these technologies and relevant health data to improve the national response to the pandemic. If the bill is passed, it will ensure that the data collected for public health purposes is used appropriately. This article continues to discuss the Public Health Emergency Privacy Act and other efforts to strengthen privacy protections for COVID-19 health data.

HealthITSecurity reports "Proposed Public Health Emergency Bill Targets COVID-19 Tech Privacy"