The Australian government is releasing highly sensitive medical records to police through a secret regime that experts say contains fundamentally flawed privacy protections. The Department of Human Services fields large volumes of requests for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) data from state and federal policing agencies each year. The records can paint a detailed picture of a person’s medical history, including, for example, any history of mental health issues, HIV, abortion or sexually transmitted diseases. Most Australians oppose data harvesting and sale by apps and websites – Essential poll Read more But, unlike the controversial My Health Record, no warrant or court order is needed for the department to release the information to police. The department instead uses a set of internal guidelines to decide how and when it will acquiesce to a police request. It has never made the guidelines public and has actively […]