InfoBytes Blog
FTC says health apps must comply with Health Breach Notification Rule
On September 15, the FTC warned health apps and connected devices collecting or using consumers’ health information that they must comply with the FTC’s Health Breach Notification Rule (Rule). The Rule requires companies to notify consumers and others if consumers’ health data is breached, and ensures that entities not covered by HIPAA are held accountable in the event of a security breach. Companies that fail to comply with the Rule may be subject to monetary penalties of up to $43,792 per violation per day. The FTC’s policy statement (approved by a 3-2 vote) clarifies the Rule’s scope and puts companies on notice of their reporting obligations. According to the FTC, health apps that are increasingly collecting sensitive and personal data from consumers have a responsibility to ensure the collected data is secured from unauthorized access. However, the FTC expressed concern that there are still few applicable privacy protections. “While this Rule imposes some measure of accountability on tech firms that abuse our personal information, a more fundamental problem is the commodification of sensitive health information, where companies can use this data to feed behavioral ads or power user analytics,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan stated. “Given the growing prevalence of surveillance-based advertising, the Commission should be scrutinizing what data is being collected in the first place and whether particular types of business models create incentives that necessarily place users at risk.”