On the internet, the personal data users give away for free is transformed into a precious commodity. The puppy photos people upload train machines to be smarter. The questions they ask Google uncover humanity’s deepest prejudices. And their location histories tell investors which stores attract the most shoppers. Even seemingly benign activities, like staying in and watching a movie, generate mountains of information, treasure to be scooped up later by businesses of all kinds. Personal data is often compared to oil—it powers today’s most profitable corporations, just like fossil fuels energized those of the past. But the consumers it’s extracted from often know little about how much of their information is collected, who gets to look at it, and what it’s worth. Every day, hundreds of companies you may not even know exist gather facts about you, some more intimate than others. That information may then flow to academic researchers, hackers, law … [Read more...] about The Wired Guide to Your Personal Data (and Who Is Using It)
Canceling health insurance through employer
Republicans can’t wait to debate Medicare for All
The only people more eager than progressive Democrats for hearings on Medicare for All are conservative Republicans. GOP lawmakers, fresh off an electoral shellacking fueled in large part by health care concerns, are now trolling Democrats with demands for hearings on the sweeping single-payer bill set to be introduced this month. They're confident that revelations about its potential cost andelimination of most private insurance will give them potent lines of attack heading into 2020 — an election that President Donald Trump is already framing as a debate about "socialism."Story Continued Below “We should have the opportunity to have a hearing on a bill Democrats say they are for,” Oregon Rep. Greg Walden, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told POLITICO. "They’ve campaigned on it. Now, let’s find out what it is and what they’re promoting.” “We’re going to pull the curtain back on Medicare for All so the … [Read more...] about Republicans can’t wait to debate Medicare for All
My Health Record had 42 data breaches in 2017-18 but no ‘malicious’ attacks: ADHA
Australia's troubled My Health Record recorded 42 data breaches between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018, the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) has said in its 2017-18 annual report [PDF]. Three of the breaches were reported to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and involved one breach of unauthorised access due to an incorrect Parental Authorised Representative being assigned to a child, and two breaches due to suspected Medicare fraud that resulted in the potential fraudster seeing records without authority. ADHA also said 17 breaches were found from the Department of Human Services identifying intertwined records where two or more people have been using the same Medicare record, and 22 breaches from attempted Medicare fraud where unauthorised claims appeared incorrectly in the My Health Record of affected users. "There have been no purposeful or malicious attacks compromising the integrity or security of the My Health Record system," ADHA said. The … [Read more...] about My Health Record had 42 data breaches in 2017-18 but no ‘malicious’ attacks: ADHA
My Health Record opt-out officially extended to January 31
Those wishing to opt-out of the federal government's My Health Record now officially have until January 31 to do so, with the House of Representatives on Monday passing amendments agreed upon in the Senate earlier this month.A day before the original opt-out date, Pauline Hanson put forward an amendment to extend the opt-out period by just over two months, after the federal opposition had its request for a 12-month extension blocked. It would be two weeks until the House of Representatives had the opportunity to agree to the changes.The opt-out period was originally meant to end on October 15, but was in August extended until November 15.It has been well over a month since the system operator -- the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) -- and Health Minister Greg Hunt have said how many Australians have opted out of the system since the option opened on July 16.The last figure was given on October 24, when a Senate committee was told that 1.147 million people had opted out as of … [Read more...] about My Health Record opt-out officially extended to January 31
Labor seeks updated My Health Record legislation to prevent privatisation
The federal opposition wants to fix the Australian government's controversial My Health Record, focusing in particular on amending legislation to ensure control of the online medical file can never be privatised or commercialised.Labor has touted its plan as protecting the privacy of employees and women fleeing domestic violence, and as one protecting the public from having their medical history used by the likes of health insurers. "Labor supports electronic health records. But the Senate inquiry we initiated into the My Health Record has exposed a range of deficiencies that must be addressed before this scheme rolls out to every Australian," a statement from Shadow Minister for Health and Medicare Catherine King said.Specifically, Labor intends to move amendments to the Bill to prevent My Health Record from being privatised or commercialised; to disallow the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) from ever delegating access to My Health Record to other entities; to ensure private … [Read more...] about Labor seeks updated My Health Record legislation to prevent privatisation