Through ISMG’s Lens: Privacy Lessons | Edition 34

Privacy is the foundation of digital trust. It's not just about locks and codes; it's about respecting rules and doing what's right. This blend of smart tech and ethics creates a safety net for our online activities.

From inadvertent disclosures of confidential patient data by employees to sophisticated data breaches, there is a growing need to incorporate privacy in cybersecurity. Cybersecurity extends beyond technical fortifications, embodying both an ethical and legal imperative to shield personal information from unauthorized exposure.

Delve into this edition as we explore recent privacy incidents, with a special focus on the NHS Lanarkshire WhatsApp incident. Read on:

Privacy Watchdog Slams Sharing of Patient Data Via WhatsApp

Shadow IT strikes again: Britain's privacy watchdog has reprimanded the NHS Lanarkshire health board in Scotland after finding its staff used WhatsApp for the unauthorized sharing of patient data and images as a workaround for in-person clinical discussions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Privacy Lessons From the NHS Lanarkshire WhatsApp Incident

U.K. authorities recently reprimanded health service provider NHS Lanarkshire after staff members shared patient data on messaging service WhatsApp. That privacy lapse demonstrates the risks of shadow IT and the legacy of COVID-19 practices, said attorney Jonathan Armstrong of Cordery Compliance.

Additional Articles on Privacy You Shouldn't Miss:

Why HHS Regulators Are Heavily Scrutinizing Web Tracker Use

The Department of Health and Human Services is heavily scrutinizing potential HIPAA violations involving online tracking tools in healthcare entity websites that impermissibly transmit sensitive protected health information to third parties, said Susan Pezzullo Rhodes of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ' Office for Civil Rights.

Federal Judge Inclined to Grant Claims in Meta Pixel Case

A federal judge issued a tentative order allowing plaintiffs to continue suing social media giant Meta for allegedly intercepting sensitive health data through its web tracking Pixel tool embedded into patient portals and scheduling apps. Meta attorneys had sought to have the lawsuit dismissed.

Lawmaker Quizzes Google on 'Guardrails' for AI in Healthcare

Citing concerns including patient confidentiality and potential information inaccuracies, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., on Tuesday sent a letter quizzing Google CEO Sundar Pichai about how the tech giant is applying privacy, trust and ethical "guardrails" around the development and use of its generative AI product, Med-PaLM 2, in healthcare settings.

谷歌 in April said it had begun rolling out Med-PaLM 2, a large language model designed to answer medical questions, to a "select group" of Google Cloud customers for limited testing.

Check out our #ISMGNews Network for more updates.

That's all for today. We will be back next week.

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Have a nice day ahead.

-- ISMG Social Media Desk