But in the meantime, and in lieu of any federal data privacy law in the US, protecting personal information falls to the individual. And for that, Friedman recommends browser-based tools Ghostery and Privacy Badger, which identify and block transfers to third-party domains. “It impacts your browsing experience almost none,” he explained. “It’s free. And you will be shocked at how much tracking is actually happening, and how much data is actually flowing to third parties.”
Note: Although Friedman recommends Ghostery and Privacy Badger, uBlock Origin is generally considered a better privacy-enhancing browser extension. Additionally, there exist multiple approaches for adblocking and tracker blocking beyond the browser extension model.
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Doesn’t this violate HIPAA, or does HIPAA not cover this?
HIPAA prevents providers from sharing your personal medical data. In this case, you are the one sharing the data by using a third-party portal. Best recommendation is to check-in in person, complete ER forms on paper, and avoid using third-party apps/websites for medical care. Provider-hosted secure portals are protected by HIPAA.
That’s a huge loophole.
Fuck this country. 😬
Write your representatives asking for privacy legislation. The EU’s GDPR is a great example.