For Immediate Release:
Sen. Hwang Applauds Signing of Bipartisan
Patient Health Data Privacy Bill
Sen. Tony Hwang today applauded the signing of legislation he-co-sponsored which will better protect the privacy of patient health data online.
The new law establishes safeguards for the collection, sharing, and selling of personal health data by businesses and service providers operating online platforms in Connecticut that have the ability to collect personal information about an individual. This can include items such as internet searches, GPS tracking devices, and apps that keep track of a person’s health information.
While this law protects a wide scope of personal health information, it explicitly includes safeguards regarding those on reproductive health. These standards will help individuals who are seeking health care information and services online trust that their personal data and information is secure and cannot be collected and used against them.
“Last year, Connecticut passed nationally recognized internet provider data privacy legislation (Public Act 22-15), and Connecticut continues to lead the nation in the area of protecting people’s data and online privacy,” said Sen. Hwang, who was recently appointed by Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly to serve on the Task Force to Study Cybersecurity. “This is especially crucial when it comes to patient health data and protecting our children on the internet and social media. We must strive to be a role model for other states in the area of data privacy.”
Sen. Hwang has been an active participant and contributor in a legislative working group that has focused on policy solutions which strengthen this complex and fast changing area of regulatory law. In 2022, Sen. Hwang voted in favor of legislation aimed to better protect consumers online in Connecticut and provide some of the strongest data privacy protections for consumers in the country. That legislation, which is now law, gave people:
- The right to know what data is being collected and to correct what information is collected
- The right to delete information that is collected
- The right to export his or her own personal data that was collected (“portability”)
- The right to opt out of having any data collected
“In bipartisan fashion, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting people’s personal data and protecting consumers and our young people,” Sen. Hwang said. “It is critical that consumers know what information is being collected and how it is being used. The state of Connecticut must stay at the forefront of important protections for every person to control and privately maintain their own information. Most importantly, people should have the right to say ‘NO’, to having their personal information captured or sold.”
*Senator Tony Hwang is a Chief Deputy Senate Republican Leader in the Connecticut General Assembly representing Newtown, Sandy Hook, Easton, Fairfield and portions of Bethel. Hwang was the former Chairman of the Public Safety and Protection Committee with cognizance on internet safety. He also served as co-chair of the Public Health Committee.
On the web: www.SenatorHwang.com
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