Information commissioner condemns HIV data breaches

The UK’s information commissioner, John Edwards, has criticized the data protection standards for individuals with HIV and called for urgent improvements to regain trust after multiple data breaches. The health sector accounted for over a fifth of total data breach reports in 2022/23. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recently fined the Central YMCA of London £7,500 for revealing sensitive information in an email mishap. Edwards urged organizations to improve their data handling practices, including ending the use of BCC for sensitive communications.