FTC Halts Data Broker's Sale of Location Data From Medical Visits, but Broader Market Remains Unregulated
Source Summary
The Federal Trade Commission ordered a data company to stop selling location data collected from hundreds of millions of Americans' mobile devices when they visited hospitals, dialysis clinics, or abortion clinics. However, the FTC action does not prevent other data brokers from engaging in similar practices, as federal privacy protections remain absent. In response, some states are beginning to enact their own regulations to address the gap.
Why it matters
The FTC's enforcement action demonstrates regulatory concern over health-location data collection, but the absence of comprehensive federal privacy law leaves most data brokers free to continue similar practices, creating a patchwork of state-level protections.
