What are HIPAA and CCPA, and how do they protect personal data?

HIPAA protects health data in the US, while the CCPA gives California consumers control over their personal data.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act):

• US federal law from 1996 focused on health data.
• Regulates the storage, transmission, and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI).
• Sets standards specifically for healthcare providers, insurers, and their business partners.
• Requires strict security measures to protect the confidentiality and integrity of health data.
• Governed by 45 C.F.R. Section 164.514(b) of the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act):

• California state law, effective since 2020.
• Consumer rights: Gives consumers the right to know, delete, and opt out of the sale of their personal data.
• Protected data: Names, addresses, IP addresses, purchase behavior, and more.
• Scope: Applies to businesses operating in California that exceed certain thresholds, such as annual revenue over $25 million or handling data of 50,000+ consumers.

Why these matter globally: Even though these are US laws, they affect any company doing business with US consumers or handling US health data. Many tech companies operating in Switzerland must comply with CCPA if they have California users.