This course examines privacy as an individual's right under the law to have the freedom to make both meaningful decisions, and control the use of personal information held by others. The course will explore how the law protects privacy rights in online environments, with particular regard to web technologies and digital advertising. The course examines today's information security and data breach laws, including notification requirements at both the federal and state level. We will read and discuss materials designed to increase your understanding of medical privacy laws, such as 42 CFR Part 2, HIPAA, GINA, and the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, so that you can gain an appreciation for how personal protected health information must be maintained and secured. We will examine the financial privacy laws that control how your credit report and banking information can be used, such as FCRA, FACTA, and GLBA, and how the government and commercial entities collaborate to ensure the safe use and accuracy of your virtual assets. Lastly, the course will address the protections afforded to educational records by laws such as FERPA and the PPRA, and how such laws are enforced in the local, regional, and collegiate educational systems. The last part of the course will explore emerging issues in the area of individual privacy law, such as Big Data, surveillance, and the Internet of Things, and how these emerging technologies are quickly becoming key aspects to being well-informed, and capable of providing meaningful consent to data use.
