Repeal of planned FCC privacy rules leave ISPs largely unregulated

FCC-FTC Privacy

Internet service providers have few practical restrictions on how they handle their customers’ information and are subject to substantially fewer regulations than web content providers, e-commerce companies, and technology firms whose users rely on those same ISPs.

Seattle public schools extend off-campus speech policies to online activity

As reported by local Seattle media outlets, the Seattle School Board — with oversight for public schools in a district serving 46,000 students — voted last week to adopt an update to its student Code of…

HHS withdraws final health data breach notification rule for revision

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week that it has withdrawn the final version of its rule on Breach Notification for Unsecured Protected Health Information, which it had submitted to OMB for…

Health IT policy intensifies focus on consent

While there were several informative presentations and topics addressed at the monthly meeting of the Health IT Policy Committee today, the recommendations from the Privacy and Security Tiger Team on adoption of fair information practices and,…

Significant work remains to produce standards and rules on accounting of disclosures for PHI

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act passed as part of the Recovery Act in February 2009 included a variety of revisions included to requirements already in effect under the HIPAA Security…

NITRD Tailored Trustworthy Spaces program suggests avenues for research

Among the areas announced as federal cybersecurity research priorities for the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) program is an initiative intended to promote development of “tailored trustworthy spaces” that not only reflect different…

Clearer definitions and roles for intermediaries would facilitate policy decisions on directed exchange of health data

During the latest meeting of the Health IT Privacy and Security tiger team today, the bulk of the discussion centered around draft recommendations for message handling in what the group calls “directed exchange” in which health…