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California health privacy — The World Privacy Forum, as co-chair of the California Privacy and Security Advisory Board, was pleased to vote on an opt-in privacy standard for Californians in the June CalPSAB board meeting. The standard will be part of a set of guidelines the state of California uses in its development of electronic health care records. This set of guidelines was the culmination of two years of policy work with the CalPSAB board.

The World Privacy Forum filed comments with the US Department of Health and Human Services today in response to its Request for Information about possible changes to the HIPAA health privacy rule. WPF strongly supported patients’ current right to request a history of disclosures of their medical files, and requested an expansion of this right. WPF noted in its comments to HHS that “An individual cannot fully protect his/her privacy interest in a health record (and most other records) unless he/she has a right of access to the record, the right to propose a correction, and the right to see who has used the record and to whom it has been disclosed. Each of these elements is essential.”

Health privacy and HIPAA — The World Privacy Forum filed comments with the US Department of Health and Human Services today in response to its Request for Information about possible changes to the HIPAA health privacy rule. WPF strongly supported patients’ current right to request a history of disclosures of their medical files, and requested an expansion of this right. WPF noted in its comments to HHS that “An individual cannot fully protect his/her privacy interest in a health record (and most other records) unless he/she has a right of access to the record, the right to propose a correction, and the right to see who has used the record and to whom it has been disclosed. Each of these elements is essential.”

  Download Digital Signage Privacy Principles (PDF) or Read the Principle below —– February 25, 2010 New forms of sophisticated digital signage networks are being deployed widely by retailers and others in both public and private spaces. Capabilities range from simple people-counting sensors mounted on doorways to sophisticated, largely invisible facial recognition cameras mounted in

FTC Privacy Roundtable — Thursday, January 28, WPF Executive Director Pam Dixon will be speaking at the FTC’s Privacy Roundtable about the privacy implications of digital signage networks and will be specifically discussing the new report: The One-Way Mirror Society: Privacy Implications of the New Digital Signage Networks. Few consumers, legislators, regulators, or policy makers are aware of the capabilities of digital signs or of the extent of their use. The technology presents new problems and highlights old conflicts about privacy, public spaces, and the need for a meaningful debate.