Finally, a law that gives me control of my health data! All they had to do was ask and I would have told them I'm a cat and I'm always healthy. 😸👍 #MyHealthMyData #CatGodOfMischief

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/23/04/28/2241207/washington-passes-law-requiring-consent-before-companies-collect-health-data?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

New on NPI's Cascadia Advocate: VICTORY! My Health, My Data Act heads to Governor Inslee after House concurrence vote | #waleg #MyHealthMyData

https://npi.li/3tx

@drewharwell has more on data brokers selling mental health information at https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/02/13/mental-health-data-brokers/

The original version of Washington's proposed #MyHealthMyData would have banned this practice. The watered-down substitute allows it, although requires an authorization -- some protection, but nowhere near as much as prohibiting it. #waleg

https://privacy.thenexus.today/a-watered-down-substitute-advances/

Despite all the watering down, industry still isn't satisfied! Amendments to weaken enforcement by removing the per se clause, and give companies a get-out-of-jail free card (the so-called "right to cure") were voted down on Friday but will no doubt be back.

So It's potentially a tricky situation for WA Democrats. Despite a promising start , it's not clear that #MyHealthMyData is still on track to deliver real protection to health data, pregnant people, and gender-affirming care.

Supporters of My Health My Data wanted the bill to move quickly -- and that happened. Good news! That said, industry lobbyists got a lot of the "improvements" (haha) they asked for in his substitute amendment.

The new version of #MyHealthMyData:

- no longer prohibits organizations from selling Washingtonians’ health data

- narrows the definition of consumer health data

- relaxes restrictions on "geofencing"

- has a lot more exemptions

See https://privacy.thenexus.today/a-watered-down-substitute-advances/ for more details

A watered-down substitute advances: Washington #privacy legislation update, February 6

Washington's legislative session is in high gear. #waleg #Privacy highlights from the last week:

- the CR&J committee advanced a new version of #MyHealthMyData (HB 1155), incorporating many of the "improvements" (haha) industry lobbyists suggested

- ADS regulation (SB 5356) is likely to get a hearing in ENET

- The #PeoplesPrivacyAct (HB 1616/SB 5643) had a good week!

https://privacy.thenexus.today/a-watered-down-substitute-advances/

#waleg: striker amendent for #MyHealthMyData (HB 1155) consumer health data #privacy bill.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/committeeschedules/Home/Document/251088

The Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee has an executive session Friday at 10:30 am. Here's the video: https://tvw.org/video/house-civil-rights-judiciary-2023021056/?eventID=2023021056

@slaterfe@twitter.com of @futureofprivacy has some quick comments on the striker at https://twitter.com/Slaterfe/status/1621293941709479936

Last week: #MyHealthMyData (HB 1155), which protects consumer health data – especially urgent as more and more states criminalize abortion and gender-affirming care – had a very encouraging hearing in the House Civil Rights & Judiciary (CR&J) Committee. #waleg

https://privacy.thenexus.today/my-health-my-data-encouraging-first-step/

TAKE ACTION: if you live in Washington state, ask your state Representatives to pass My Health My Data using the ACLU's handy (albeit privacy-invasive) web form.

https://action.aclu.org/send-message/protect-abortion-access-pass-my-health-my-data-act

Some kinds of activism will work better than others in the fediverse today. Helping people better protect their privacy, getting the word out about local organizing opportunities, anti-corporate activism, and legislative activism all have definite possibilities.

"#Privacy activism in "the other Washington": #waleg #MyHealthMyData #PeoplesPrivacyAct and more" discusses an experiment-in-progress: legislative action here in Washington state.

https://thenexusofprivacy.net/waleg-privacy-activism/

Some kinds of activism will work better than others in the fediverse today. Helping people better protect their privacy, getting the word out about local organizing opportunities, anti-corporate activism, and legislative activism all have definite possibilities.

"#Privacy activism in "the other Washington": #waleg #MyHealthMyData #PeoplesPrivacyAct and more" discusses an experiment-in-progress: legislative action here in Washington state.

https://thenexusofprivacy.net/waleg-privacy-activism/

For #DataPrivacyDay, a pair of posts about privacy activism!

"#Privacy activism on #Mastodon and in the fediverse looks" at the opportunity. A lot of people are in the fediverse because they care about privacy. Can we leverage that for activism?

https://thenexusofprivacy.net/privacy-activism-mastodon-fediverse/

"#Privacy activism in "the other Washington": #waleg #MyHealthMyData #PeoplesPrivacyAct and more" looks at the situation here in Washington state and @waprivacy's experiments.

https://thenexusofprivacy.net/waleg-privacy-activism/

For NPR, Manuela López Restrepo has a good story on #facialrecognition with quotes from @evangreer and hbwhbwhbw@mastodon.lawprofs.org

https://npr.org/2023/01/21/1150289272/facial-recognition-technology-madison-square-garden-law-new-york

On state privacy legislation, here's my update on the first #waleg hearing for Washington's proposed #MyHealthMyData consumer health data privacy law

https://thenexusofprivacy.net/my-health-my-data-encouraging-first-step/

And @privacy_news' US State #Privacy Legislation Tracker is up at https://iapp.org/resources/article/us-state-privacy-legislation-tracker

A very encouraging first step: #MyHealthMyData's first hearing

(Part two of Washington state privacy legislation 2023) #waleg #reproductivejustice #privacy

https://thenexusofprivacy.net/my-health-my-data-encouraging-first-step/

RT @NexusOfPrivacy
Staring at 10:30 am: the House Civil Rights & Judiciary hearing, incliuding #MyHealthMyData and the #ShieldLaw.

Live video stream: https://tvw.org/video/house-civil-rights-judiciary-2023011514/?eventID=2023011514

"A much more favorable environment", my #waleg privacy overview, has more about both these bills

https://privacy.thenexus.today/wa-privacy-more-favorable-environment/

Staring at 10:30 am: the House Civil Rights & Judiciary hearing, incliuding #MyHealthMyData and the #ShieldLaw.

Live video stream: https://tvw.org/video/house-civil-rights-judiciary-2023011514/?eventID=2023011514

"A much more favorable environment", my #waleg privacy overview, has more about both these bills

https://privacy.thenexus.today/wa-privacy-more-favorable-environment/

The #waleg session runs until April 23, and privacy legislation often goes down to the wire. There's good reason for optimism this year!

#MyHealthMyData has its first hearing tomorrow morning. I'll be live-tweeting and (hopefully) testifying.

Stay tuned! https://privacy.thenexus.today/wa-privacy-more-favorable-environment

The Supreme Court's Dobbs decision overturning Roe has changed the game on privacy legislation. #MyHealthMyData, from Rep. Vandana Slatter and Sen. Manka Dhingra (HB1155/SB5351), responds by providing strong protections for consumer health data.

https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/18/washington_period_tracking_apps/

There's a lot to like about #MyHealthMyData. Here's some of the highlights. Each of these would be significant advances over existing state privacy laws so there are going to be a lot of lobbyists pushing for weaker protections

A much more favorable environment, but a lot of complexity: Washington state privacy legislation 2023

UPDATED with info about #PeoplesPrivacyAct and#ShieldLaw as well as #MyHealthMyData

https://privacy.thenexus.today/wa-privacy-more-favorable-environment/

The 2023 #waleg session is already in high gear, and once again there's some significant privacy legislation. If you're just tuning in, the sections on "What's Past is Prologue" and "Significant successes for Washington privacy advocates" have the backstory.

Kicking it off, @ProPublica used @TheMarkup's Blacklight tool to run checks on 11 online pharmacies that sell abortion medication. At least 9 of them had web trackers. That's bad.
https://propublica.org/article/websites-selling-abortion-pills-share-sensitive-data-with-google

Website and app data usually isn't protected under HIPAA -- so we need something like Washington's #MyHealthMyData Act to prohibit these kinds of privacy abuses
https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/18/washington_period_tracking_apps/

I wrote about #MyHealthMyData last week in my #waleg #privacy overview

https://privacy.thenexus.today/wa-privacy-more-favorable-environment/

@PrivacyDigest great to see coverage on #MyHealthMyData ! Alas, they misspelled the name of one of the sponsors and inaccurately compared it to a California law (which is good but does something different). Sigh. Oh well, any publicity is good publicity! #waleg