FTC Questions Privacy on Health Care Web Sites
Dateline: 02/18/00
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is investigating allegations that health care-related Web sites may have collected and shared personal information about consumers with other companies without permission or warning.
The FTC investigation comes in response to a February 1 report issued by the California HealthCare Foundation criticizing the Web sites for their personal data collection and usage practices.
The report conducted by the Health Privacy Project at Georgetown University and Richard Smith, an Internet security expert, looks at the privacy policies and practices of 21 of the most heavily trafficked health sites on the Internet.
The Health Privacy Project report revealed the following five key findings:
- Visitors to health Web sites are not anonymous, even if they think they are.
- Health Web sites recognize consumers' concern about the privacy of their personal health information and have made efforts to establish privacy policies; however, the policies fall short of truly safeguarding consumers.
- There is inconsistency between the privacy policies and the actual practices of health Web sites.
- Consumers are using health Web sites to better manage their health, but their personal information may not be adequately protected.
- Health Web sites with privacy policies that disclaim liability for the actions of third parties on the site negate those very policies.
The report continues to suggest ways by which health care Web sites could improve the privacy of collected information.
- Perform a thorough evaluation of each site's privacy policy.
- Close the loop between privacy policy and practices by measuring the policy of the site against the information collected.
- Provide Web site visitors more anonymity by limiting the sharing of the information gathered.
- Work with other Internet health leaders to develop a standard privacy policy.
The Wall Street Journal reported today (2/18/2000) that the HealthCentral.com and iVillage.com Web sites had been contacted by the FTC. Both Web sites were named in the Health Privacy Project report, but representatives could not be reached for comment by The Wall Street Journal.
Health Web site drkoop.com, created by former Surgeon General Everett Koop was also named in the Health Privacy Project report, but had not been contacted by the FTC according to the company's chief operating officer on 2/17/2000.
Reference Resources
California HealthCare Foundation
Parent organization of the Health Privacy ProjectHealth Privacy Project
"dedicated to raising public awareness of the importance of ensuring health privacy in order to improve health care access and quality, both on an individual and a community level." Researchers of the Health Privacy Project created the critical report.Report on the Privacy Policies and Practices of Health Web Sites
A page from which you can download the Health Privacy Project report. (.pdf)FTC Advisory Committee on Online Access and Security
U.S. Federal Trade Commission committee that provides advice and recommendations to the commission regarding implementation of certain fair information practices by domestic commercial Web sites.
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