See these articles:
Netflix Contest Seen As Posing Privacy Risk
Netflix is about to commit a privacy Valdez with its customers' viewing data
AOL, Netflix and the end of open access to research data
Once again Netflix plans to violate the privacy of those who rate the movies they rent. Two University of Texas computer scientists demonstrated that the Netflix database of 500,000 with movie ratings could be re-identified, revealing sensitive political and sexual preferences of the actual people who rated movies. Netflix did not get the consent of renters to expose their ratings to the public or ot researchers.
Yet Netflix is moving ahead to release even MORE personal data for its next million-dollar contest. The major media (NYT's STeve Lohr for example) has NOT reported at all on how Netflix is violating movie renters' privacy, but instead trumpets the prizes paid to those who develop more accurate ways to predict which movies you will want to watch next.
The problem of re-identification is VERY serious for the healthcare system because health data is impossible to de-identify. It is so rich in detail that de-identification is almost impossible.
Today, the treasure trove of all Americans' sensitive health data is being endlessly used and disclosed without informed consent to millions of "covered entities" and "business associates" (and their millions of employees)--subjecting EVERY American to the theft, sale, and misuse of the most sensitive personal information that exists.
Who will hire you knowing all about your prescriptions, illnesses and genes?
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Friday, September 25, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Who is tracking YOU?
On the Internet ALL your health searches about scary and stigmatizing illnesses, all searches or purchases of books on health, and all searches or purchases of medications and devices are tracked and sold.
It is impossible to search for health information privately via Google, etc.
Health websites take massive advantage of Americans' powerful expectations that ALL healthcare providers put their interests and their privacy first---expectations which come from the traditional doctor-patient relationship and the ethics that have governed Medicine for 2,400 years (derived from the Hippocratic Oath).
Americans are not yet ready to believe that every aspect of healthcare in the US is profit-driven, rather than driven by the ethical codes all health professionals swear to at graduation: the promises to "do no harm" and to "guard their secrets".
Americans are not yet ready to believe that Wall Street has taken over Medicine---and that instead of guaranteeing the strong health privacy rights Americans have under the law, Wall Street erases our rights to ensure shareholder profits.
View this story in the NY Times: Ads Follow Web Users, and Get More Personal
It is impossible to search for health information privately via Google, etc.
Health websites take massive advantage of Americans' powerful expectations that ALL healthcare providers put their interests and their privacy first---expectations which come from the traditional doctor-patient relationship and the ethics that have governed Medicine for 2,400 years (derived from the Hippocratic Oath).
Americans are not yet ready to believe that every aspect of healthcare in the US is profit-driven, rather than driven by the ethical codes all health professionals swear to at graduation: the promises to "do no harm" and to "guard their secrets".
Americans are not yet ready to believe that Wall Street has taken over Medicine---and that instead of guaranteeing the strong health privacy rights Americans have under the law, Wall Street erases our rights to ensure shareholder profits.
View this story in the NY Times: Ads Follow Web Users, and Get More Personal
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Data-mining: Australia Just Calls It Something Else
In Australia, the data mining industry pays doctors to sell patients' prescription records. In the US they pay pharmacies, hospitals, and PBMs. See Article.
A complaint to the Australian Privacy Commissioner was dismissed because the data miners claimed that patients and doctors were "de-identified". But it is very difficult to fully de-identify personal health data so that re-identification is impossible. If true, the industry should have offered proof that their methods actually work and that the data cannot be re-identified.
As in the US, the theft and sale of personal prescription records is rationalized with claims that it can be used to "provide valuable insight into healthcare trends-- including the spread of infectious diseases". The word that describes using data to provide "valuable insights" is "research". It happens to be both illegal and unethical to do research without informed consent.
A complaint to the Australian Privacy Commissioner was dismissed because the data miners claimed that patients and doctors were "de-identified". But it is very difficult to fully de-identify personal health data so that re-identification is impossible. If true, the industry should have offered proof that their methods actually work and that the data cannot be re-identified.
As in the US, the theft and sale of personal prescription records is rationalized with claims that it can be used to "provide valuable insight into healthcare trends-- including the spread of infectious diseases". The word that describes using data to provide "valuable insights" is "research". It happens to be both illegal and unethical to do research without informed consent.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
RealAge sets new low...
RealAge sets a new low for unscrupulous behavioral targeting to sell drugs.
Is the RealAge quiz an unfair and deceptive trade practice? Where is informed consent?
Do the 27 million who took the test to find out if they are younger or older than their "biological age" really know that they are giving detailed information so RealAge can market drugs to them?
RealAge illustrates a critical problem with almost all health-related websites: people are actually going there for help - they appear to offer services, so people expect that health websites follow medical ethics and protect their privacy. But they don't. Health websites are not altruistic and don't adhere to medical ethics or privacy rights. Health-related websites offering rating scales, searchers, or information about diseases and treatments are typically just as deceptive: they also are designed primarily to collect personal information for personally-targeted marketing or worse.
View the New York Times article Online Age Quiz Is a Window for Drug Makers.
Is the RealAge quiz an unfair and deceptive trade practice? Where is informed consent?
Do the 27 million who took the test to find out if they are younger or older than their "biological age" really know that they are giving detailed information so RealAge can market drugs to them?
RealAge illustrates a critical problem with almost all health-related websites: people are actually going there for help - they appear to offer services, so people expect that health websites follow medical ethics and protect their privacy. But they don't. Health websites are not altruistic and don't adhere to medical ethics or privacy rights. Health-related websites offering rating scales, searchers, or information about diseases and treatments are typically just as deceptive: they also are designed primarily to collect personal information for personally-targeted marketing or worse.
View the New York Times article Online Age Quiz Is a Window for Drug Makers.
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