Issues

Want A Job In Akron? Hand Over Your DNA Posted by Declan McCullagh

It's not unusual for employers to conduct criminal background checks during the hiring process. But the University of Akron has taken this to a surprising new level.

The Ohio school now reserves the right to require any prospective faculty, staff, or contractor to submit a DNA sample, which genetic-testing experts say makes it the first employer in the nation to take such an extreme and potentially intrusive step.

Privacy Report Card for the Obama Administration A Talk by Michael Ostrolenk at the National Press Club 9/9/09

Medical Privacy & Secure Flight

I will be laying out a bit of history and then the present day issues at hand when it comes to both medical privacy and secure flight and then offering a grade to date for President Obama’s Administration on both issues. The historical context and comparisons between Administrations is important but I will also be basing my grade not just on comparisons between Obama, Bush and Clinton but on what is appropriate for a Constitutional Republic based on the sovereignty of the individual.

Privacy Report Card for the Obama Administration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Media Advisory 
Thursday, September 3, 2009 
 Contact: 
Gerald Tan, EPIC Administrative Coordinator 
(202) 483?1140 x119 admin@epic.org 
  Privacy Report Card for  
the Obama Administration 
 
National Press Club 
Washington, DC 
Wednesday, September 9, 2009 

Health bill could allow government access to personal financial records By: Susan Ferrechio

Privacy concerns are generating another round of complaints about health care legislation being considered in the House.

The bill calls for the secretary of health and human services to be able to quickly determine a person's financial responsibility and eligibility for health care services, "which may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card."

TAKE ACTION: Support H.R. 2630 “Protect Patients and Physicians Privacy Act.”

Please contact your Representative.

(Find your Representative www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml)

(Congressional Switchboard- 202-224-3121) and ask him to support H.R. 2630 “Protect Patients and Physicians Privacy Act.”

H.R. 2630 grants individuals the ability to opt out of any federally mandated, created, or funded electronic system for maintaining medical information.

It repeals the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to adopt standards for the creation of a unique health identifier.