Sleep patterns. Heart rates. Menstrual cycles. Weight fluctuations. Medication schedules. The location of major world leaders. Every morning, millions of people strap on smartwatches, open period-tracking apps, and upload their most intimate details to the cloud. We’re told this data will optimize our health, help us live better lives. But there’s a darker question lurking beneath the surface: Who actually owns all this information, and where exactly is the line between optimization and surveillance?
First things first: What HIPAA actually protects
In discussing this topic with friends and family, most everyone I know assumed their health data enjoys robust federal protections under HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Sadly, they’re wrong. HIPAA applies exclusively to
Who Really Owns All Your Health Data?
