Cybersecurity Policy Report, Fitness App Privacy Bill Set for Senate Committee’s Consideration, (Jul 21, 2026)
Users of smartwatches, fitness apps, and similar health-monitoring technologies would have to be told how their health data might be used and given a chance to opt out of its collection under legislation scheduled for consideration tomorrow by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
The Health Information Privacy Reform Act (S.B. 3097, 119th Cong. (2025)) was introduced by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.), the committee’s chairman. It would update the privacy and cybersecurity provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to account for the popularity of wearables and other modern technologies (CPR, Nov. 5, 2025).
Providers of “digital technology that generates wellness data about individuals” would have to inform customers whether their data is covered by HIPAA’s privacy protections and “offer the individual an opportunity to opt out of such wellness data generation,” according to the bill’s text.
It defines “wellness data” as “data generated for the purpose of promoting health or preventing disease, which may include vital statistics, step counts, and medical regimen compliance.”
The bill would direct the Department of Health and Human Services and Federal Trade Commission to craft regulations to implement its provisions.
The markup is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
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