Another ACA Brooklyn Bridge

[cabri]

Link

The government's health insurance website is quietly sending consumers' personal data to private companies that specialize in advertising and analyzing Internet data for performance and marketing, The Associated Press has learned.

The scope of what is disclosed or how it might be used was not immediately clear, but it can include age, income, ZIP code, whether a person smokes, and if a person is pregnant. It can include a computer's Internet address, which can identify a person's name or address when combined with other information collected by sophisticated online marketing or advertising firms.

The Obama administration says HealthCare.gov's connections to data firms were intended to help improve the consumer experience. Officials said outside firms are barred from using the data to further their own business interests.

So either the government is paying these firms to work the data and the firms have a firewall (figuratively) from it being used otherwise.

If not, then why would these firms want the data - for the goodness of their hearts.?
And how secure are these firms?

Something smells and the ACA has gotten caught again with the governments hand in the cookie jar.:thumbsdown:

 

[nickqt]

DeathPanels are out there, right now, hunting down grandmas and fetuses.

Beware, patriots!

 

[sportage]

zonik zibbit ribbit choink noink debonk

The Martian Chronicle Post

Trust all your news to a Martian, and only a Martian.
zionk zibbit

 

[Double Trouble]

DeathPanels are out there, right now, hunting down grandmas and fetuses.

Beware, patriots!

Posts like this should get this account re-banned. We all know it's a return of a previously banned account. OP posted specific information and an opinion. Refute the information and/or provide an opinion instead of thread crapping and trolling.

 

[nickqt]

Posts like this should get this account re-banned. We all know it's a return of a previously banned account. OP posted specific information and an opinion. Refute the information and/or provide an opinion instead of thread crapping and trolling.

Nice refutation and opinion on the topic at hand!

Also: this is the 4th time that a delusional conservative has accused me of being a previously banned/shill account. You can keep on making those accusations if you like, but it doesn't change the fact that this is the first account I've ever used here.

Who's crapping the thread now? It must be me, because you've accused me of something. Great refutation and opinion on the topic at hand.

 

[werepossum]

Posts like this should get this account re-banned. We all know it's a return of a previously banned account. OP posted specific information and an opinion. Refute the information and/or provide an opinion instead of thread crapping and trolling.

Just put it on 'ignore', dude. There's absolutely no chance you'll miss anything remotely persuasive, inciteful or interesting and you won't waste time wondering if it's a stealth return or just a pile of naturally occurring stupid.

On Cabri's point . . . I tend to believe the private sector already knows virtually everything about me. I wouldn't be thrilled about this if I were using the exchanges, but it wouldn't really ruin my day either, unless and until my identity got stolen over it.

 

[theeedude]

Another Brooklyn Bridge ACA doomsday thread is more like it. Given the track record of all the other doomsday predictions, I am a touch skeptical.

 

[Newell Steamer]

1st critics of ACA lose their minds when the site blows up at it's launch last year,.. and now, the government states;

The Obama administration says HealthCare.gov's connections to data firms were intended to help improve the consumer experience.

So, they suck at maintaining/wrangling their own site, but have taken steps (it seems) to help prevent end user snafus,.. and THAT is even a problem.

Which is it guys? Do you want them to do a good job, or not? You can't flop on the floor crying bloody murder over a botched launch last year and then flop again on the floor when efforts seem to have been made to prevent problems and improve things.

 

[werepossum]

1st critics of ACA lose their minds when the site blows up at it's launch last year,.. and now, the government states;


So, they suck at maintaining/wrangling their own site, but have taken steps (it seems) to help prevent end user snafus,.. and THAT is even a problem.

Which is it guys? Do you want them to do a good job, or not? You can't flop on the floor crying bloody murder over a botched launch last year and then flop again on the floor when efforts seem to have been made to prevent problems and improve things.

lol So you have no problem with them feeding your data to third parties as long as they assure you it's for your own good?

 

[theeedude]

It's private sector, so it's all good.

 

[Newell Steamer]

lol So you have no problem with them feeding your data to third parties as long as they assure you it's for your own good?

Unless someone has proof that this has resulted in something other that what their statement says, stop.

I get it, I'm sheeple for believing in my own government,.. yet a free thinker for swallowing whatever spin private businesses churn out on what is for my own good.

 

[werepossum]

Unless someone has proof that this has resulted in something other that what their statement says, stop.

I get it, I'm sheeple for believing in my own government,.. yet a free thinker for swallowing whatever spin private businesses churn out on what is for my own good.

If it's your private transaction, you can choose for yourself whether the private business' spin is for your own good. Here it's the same end result, but government has made that determination for you.

As I said earlier, I'm not really bent out of shape about this. But if you feel it's a good thing, then yes, you are a sheeple. And not one of the bright if clueless ones either.

 

[Jhhnn]

Heh. Another breathless conspiracy theory is born.

from the hit piece-

The scope of what is disclosed or how it might be used was not immediately clear

But it "could" include OMFG! Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid! Big Brother! Big Brother! Aiiieee! No! No!

Or it could be like Anandtech & damned near every other website you ever visited.

I'm guessing the latter.

 

[OverVolt]

Probably like how I signed up on the state exchange linked to it via the federal exchange after giving the federal exchange my email and now they email me nonstop like I have an IQ of 80 and need to sign up ASAP for health insurance (I already have) and I could maybe potentially get health insurance for $2.85/mo like eduardo did. But I better hurry because if I miss the deadline tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow I could be hit with a penalty. Which is bad and I should feel bad.

 

[Jhhnn]

Probably like how I signed up on the state exchange linked to it via the federal exchange after giving the federal exchange my email and now they email me nonstop like I have an IQ of 80 and need to sign up ASAP for health insurance (I already have) and I could maybe potentially get health insurance for $2.85/mo like eduardo did. But I better hurry because if I miss the deadline tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow I could be hit with a penalty. Which is bad and I should feel bad.

Which is tangential to the topic, but, uhh, never mind that, right?

Or should I fear that their emails are somehow polluting my precious bodily fluids? Is it all part of the greater Benghazi conspiracy?

 

[OverVolt]

Which is tangential to the topic, but, uhh, never mind that, right?

Or should I fear that their emails are somehow polluting my precious bodily fluids? Is it all part of the greater Benghazi conspiracy?

Yea whatever, they aren't even doing a good job advertising.

 

[cabri]

Oops

Bowing to privacy concerns, the Obama administration reversed itself Friday, scaling back the release of consumers' personal information from the government's health insurance website to private companies with a commercial interest in the data.

The administration made the changes to HealthCare.gov after The Associated Press reported earlier this week that the website was quietly sending consumers' personal data to companies that specialize in advertising and analyzing Internet data for performance and marketing.

The personal details included age, income, ZIP code, tobacco use and whether a woman is pregnant.

That prompted lawmakers to demand an explanation, while privacy advocates called on the administration to make changes.

Analysis of the website Friday by the AP showed that the administration had made changes to reduce the outbound flow of personal information. Before that, the website was explicitly sending personal data to third-party sites.


...

If they were not doing anything wrong; then why the reversal

 

[theeedude]

I guess private sector is not always best. Who knew.

 

[werepossum]

Oops

If they were not doing anything wrong; then why the reversal

lol So typical. We did nothing wrong, and we promise to stop doing it.

 

[cabri]

I guess private sector is not always best. Who knew.

Private sector knew best - get data for free so they could manipulate and resell.

It more was why did the government agree to such a bedsharing?

Not to improve the customer experience. :\

Why would the companies take the data in at no charge and provide feedback to the government?

That data was going to be mis-used; the people that authorized it were either blind and/or had their hands out.

Why should such people be trusted within the government to make decisions

Either way; another set of heads needs to be loped off for stupidity in handling.

 

[nickqt]

lol So typical. We did nothing wrong, and we promise to stop doing it.

"Policy X is super bad and it's going to be misused, there's that Kenyan usurper, at it again!!!

Government actually responds by cancelling Policy X since it isn't a fundamental policy in any way.

"Look, see, it had to have been super bad, otherwise why would they have gotten rid of it".

I'm glad that the Obama administration got rid of the policy. It seems rather useless for the average citizen, and does seem pretty strange. That said, because I'm not citing it as Obama trying to destroy America, I must be an Obamabot.

This is why discussions here end up being battles between people with napalm who see straw men. Everywhere.