Apps Checking Covid-19 Symptoms Pose Data Collection Risks

Insurers and health tech companies developing mobile apps to let patients track Covid-19 symptoms and connect with doctors need to be mindful that their data storage practices don’t run afoul of federal and state privacy laws, attorneys said.

The new coronavirus crisis is still evolving and the federal government is trying to keep up by waiving certain federal privacy rules, in particular under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. But developers of mobile apps and websites aimed at fighting the virus still have to navigate state privacy laws and a host of other regulations, like those from the Federal ...