CDT Joins Letter Criticizing Censorship of Political Speech at State University

CDT joined with eleven other leading civil liberties groups in calling on Michigan State University (MSU) to reverse a penalty imposed on a student government leader for engaging in political speech while using the campus e-mail system. Using a rule against sending "spam," the university penalized the student for writing to a few hundred specific faculty members to protest a proposed change in the MSU academic calendar. The student's e-mail was a focused and careful political statement about university policy, but MSU nevertheless treated it as abusive. The joint letter calls on MSU to lift the penalty on the student and to withdraw the "spam" rule that prohibits political speech. December 17, 2008

Text of letter [PDF] December 17, 2008 [off-site]

HHS's Leavitt Announces New Privacy Principles, Agency Issues Guidance

HHS Secretary Leavitt announced Monday new key privacy principles for electronic health information exchange. In addition, HHS’s Office of Civil Rights published new HIPAA Privacy Rule guidance, which provides important clarifying information on how the Privacy Rule governs covered entities engaged in electronic health information exchange. For example, it clarifies when covered entities must enter into business associate agreements with health information exchanges; it also makes clear that HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules cover consumer personal health records offered by covered entities. However, the guidance merely encourages the adoption of stronger privacy and security policies consistent with the new principles. CDT calls on Congress and the new Administration to implement a comprehensive, enforceable framework of protections for personal health information that builds public trust and facilitates widespread adoption of health IT. December 17, 2008

HHS Press Release on Leavitt's Annoucement December 16, 2008 [off-site]

HIPAA Privacy Rule Guidance Documents December 16, 2008 [off-site]

Other Leading Headlines