Policy
The Proposed CVS–Aetna Merger Could Threaten Patient Privacy
Aetna is notable for not selling anonymized patient data—but CVS, like many pharmacy chains, does
Stories by Adam Tanner
The Hidden Trade in Our Medical Data: Why We Should Worry
For-profit companies use our anonymized medical data in a huge secondary market. Advances in computing make it increasingly possible for outsiders to identify people from among the hundreds of millions of patients in dossiers, putting intimate secrets about our bodies and minds at risk...
Data Thieves Find Easy Pickings in the Health Care System
Hackers pillage a poorly protected bureaucracy for one third of all breaches involving names and sensitive info
Policy
Mexico's Entire Voter Database Made Accessible on the Internet
Mexican authorities say all 87 million voters’ addresses and other details were left open to public view without a password
How Data Brokers Make Money Off Your Medical Records
Data brokers legally buy, sell and trade health information, but the practice risks undermining public confidence
