News, Press, and Media

San Diego — 15 November, 2013: The General Accounting Office (GAO) issued its long-awaited report on data brokers, INFORMATION RESELLERS: Consumer Privacy Framework Needs to Reflect Changes in Technology and the Marketplace. The report discusses key World Privacy Forum testimony and research. “We are pleased with the GAO report,” said Pam Dixon, Executive Director of the World Privacy Forum. “In particular, we are glad the GAO highlighted our work calling for a stop to the selling of people’s sensitive medical and health information for marketing purposes. This is a practice that is causing great harm, the GAO made the right call in pointing out new controls are needed.” This press release includes links to the GAO report, to Dixon’s Congressional testimony, and to the WPF report discussed by the GAO.

We are delighted with CNN’s coverage of our new report on data brokers.

Today the World Privacy Forum published a report discussing the US federal government’s use of commercial data brokers, the implications for that usage, and what needs to be done to address privacy problems. The report argues that the government must bring itself fully to heel in the area of privacy, explaining that when government outsources its data needs to commercial data brokers, it needs to also attach the privacy standards it would have been held to if it had collected the data itself. Outsourcing can no longer be an excuse for evading privacy obligations.

Today the World Privacy Forum published the first of a series of new tips for users of Facebook, Facebook Privacy FAQs. “We are publishing online privacy tips for Facebook users in bite-size pieces so people can decipher the complex Facebook privacy settings and make meaningful changes and choices,” said Pam Dixon. “We are finding that too many consumers are confused about what the choices mean and how to make them.”

San Diego, CA — The World Privacy Forum is very pleased to announce the publication of a major undertaking, the complete update and revision to our landmark Patient’s Guide to HIPAA. The new guide reflects the changes in HIPAA that took effect September 23, 2013. The Patient’s Guide to HIPAA is a landmark publication because it is the first and to our knowledge — only complete guide written expressly for patients. It offers a roadmap through the thicket of dense health privacy laws and rules that many patients have questions about. The purpose of this guide is to help patients understand how to make health privacy laws work to protect their privacy. Longtime World Privacy Forum contributor Bob Gellman is primary author of the Guide, including the new version. Begin exploring the update at the HIPAA Guide Home: https://www.worldprivacyforum.org/2013/09/hipaaguidehome/ .