- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached a first-of-its-kind settlement with a data broker that the regulator alleged sold data that could be used to track visits to locations like medical clinics. The FTC alleged that Outlogic, formerly known as X-Mode Social, failed to use safeguards to remove sensitive locations and didn’t fully disclose its practices or receive permission from users. The raw data sold was not anonymized, and could be used to match an individual’s phone with places they went, including sensitive locations like domestic violence shelters or medical facilities, the agency said. The settlement is the latest action by federal regulators to tamp down on the flow of potentially sensitive health data from technology companies and apps. (Article here)
March 11, 2024
Health IT | Tea Leaves