Danielle, imagine you wake up with a headache. Or sore lower back. Or blurry vision. Maybe it could be a symptom of something worse, and you don't know yet. You might do what so many patients typically do: Google your symptoms. Or find yourself down a WebMD rabbit hole. Or maybe, lately, you talk to ChatGPT or Claude about what’s going on. With AI, these resources can promise to analyze your symptoms, break down a previous lab result, or read an MRI scan in seconds. It might feel private, helpful, and easy. It feels like you're getting answers. But behind the scenes, your most sensitive information is now sitting inside a system built by a private company — who could be gearing up to sell it. They can store the private health data you share: Your symptoms and lab results, the medications and conditions you mention, your mental health struggles, questions about pregnancy, fertility, or reproductive care. And they can sell that information to data brokers for a high price — who can also rake in giant profits from selling sensitive information to other companies and advertisers to target you based on your health concerns. So I’ve just re-introduced my Health and Location Data Protection Act to ban AI companies from selling your private health information to data brokers. If you agree that this disgraceful practice should be banned, add your name to say you support this legislation.
Look, these AI companies are actively soliciting users to share health information with them right now. Take Elon Musk for example, who was encouraging Twitter users to share MRI images with Grok. Now, do you want Elon Musk to know your symptoms and lab results, the medications you take, your mental health struggles, or if you’re pregnant, and then hand that information over to data brokers to use for who knows what? I don’t think so. Let’s be clear: This is a symptom of a greater issue that is the broken American health care system. Many Americans are turning to AI for health answers because going to the doctor means a copay they can’t swing. Or they can’t take off work for a routine visit to the clinic. Or their nearest doctor is hours away. Or because they don’t have insurance at all. We must keep fighting for Medicare for All so that people don’t feel like they have to outsource sensitive, private health conversations to AI. At the same time, we must do everything we can to prevent AI companies from exploiting patients and cashing in on America's unaffordable health care system. My Health and Location Data Protection Act would ban companies from selling Americans' health and location data — including the data you type into an AI system — and close the loopholes that let sensitive data flow to data brokers. And it would give the FTC, state attorneys general, and individuals real power to enforce real penalties. Add your name if you support my Health and Location Data Protection Act and you agree that AI companies should not be able to profit off of selling Americans’ private, personal health data. Thanks for being a part of this, Elizabeth  |
