Data Privacy

commentary

Digital Health Products Miss a Massive and Crucial Piece of a Person's Health

Our health is heavily influenced by our surroundings—including the health of the people around us. For digital health companies to credibly claim to improve people's health, their next step could be an increased willingness to look beyond an individualized notion of health and to work with public health agencies.

Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung

blog

Dementia Rates, Deepfakes, Migrant Students: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the decline of dementia rates among Americans, the dangers of deepfakes, data privacy after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, and more.

commentary

Privacy Rights Have Changed. Will Data Handling Follow?

Until privacy protection laws are cemented into place, consumer privacy won't be assured unless consumers can effectively take the steps they need to take to protect their data. Tech companies might view this as a burden, but there will likely be profits for those companies that instead see it as an opportunity.

Mary Lee @MaryLee_PhD

commentary

Preparing for a Post-Quantum Future

Future quantum computers could create a significant national security risk by enabling attackers to break a foundational element of security in America's networked communication infrastructure. The United States is taking strides to address national security risks from quantum computing, but there is a long road ahead.

Michael J. D. Vermeer @MJDVermeer

commentary

Telemedicine Abortion? It's Not as Easy as It Sounds

The Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has providers and health advocates strategizing about how to provide more abortions where it is still legal. Expanding virtual medical visits is one popular idea. Policymakers and clinics could take steps to make telemedicine better understood, easier to use, and more equitable.

Zachary Predmore @zspredmore, Julia Rollison @Julia_Rollison

commentary

Hack Post-Quantum Cryptography Now So That Bad Actors Don't Do It Later

The U.S. government should consider offering a public cash bounty to anyone who can crack the new forms of encryption that are being rolled out to defend against quantum computers. If a bounty helps catch a vulnerability before it's deployed, then the modest cost of the bounty could prevent much higher costs down the line.

Edward Parker, Michael J. D. Vermeer @MJDVermeer

commentary

When IT Meets Medical Innovation: Regulatory and Policy Challenges for Software as a Medical Device

The demand for using software to improve health care, including software as a medical device (SaMD), is on the rise. Realizing the potential benefits of the growing demand for SaMD may require clearer and more-consistent regulation of patient safety and medical effectiveness.

Zuzanna Marciniak-Nuqui, Nick Fahy, et al.

blog

Media Literacy, Internet of Bodies, Arctic Governance: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on teaching media literacy in schools, a “connected future” via the Internet of Bodies, gaps in Arctic governance, and more.

blog

Prescription Drug Prices, Transgender Troops, Space Diplomacy: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on America's high prescription drug prices, allowing transgender troops in the military, food insecurity in Black neighborhoods, and more.

commentary

Now Could Be the Time to Form Policy for Emerging Brain- and Body-Enhancement Technologies

Policymakers might consider developing appropriate policy frameworks for emerging brain- and body-enhancement technologies to ensure that innovations harnessed for societal, economic, or military benefits do not create new vulnerabilities and that governments adequately defend and manage against potential attacks. The technology is quickly moving forward. Policy may need to play catch-up.

Mary Lee @MaryLee_PhD, Timothy Marler, et al.

essay

Are We Ready for the Internet of Bodies?

Any device can be hacked, including one inside the human body. We need to think through the privacy and security implications of devices that live with us. But we should also consider the life-changing, life-saving potential of technologies that know us inside and out.

commentary

Your Personal Information Could End Up in the Hands of Foreign Investors

If you've ever rented a property, you may have wondered what happens to the sensitive information on your application. Recent concerns over the foreign harvesting of personal information for questionable purposes should worry everyone.

Marcus Dillistone, Ryan Andrew Brown, et al.

blog

How Russia Targets U.S. Elections, Black Workers and COVID-19, TikTok: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how Russia targets U.S. elections, Americans' increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic, Black workers and COVID-19, and more.

commentary

Could Time Be Up for TikTok?

Is it possible for ByteDance to maintain ownership in TikTok Global while ameliorating U.S. national security concerns? At the heart of any deal should be a highly technical agreement on data security issues—one that not only the two companies but the two governments might have to agree to.

Daniel Gonzales @gonzadan, Sarah Harting, et al.

commentary

A Snowden Pardon Could Have a Snowball Effect on Protecting National Security Secrets

If President Trump were to pardon Edward Snowden, then he might encourage vigilante behavior that puts at risk the very sensitive information and operations—meaning American interests and lives—that the U.S. national security system is intended to protect.

Sina Beaghley, Marek N. Posard @mnposard