Rank 6 - Dedicated Member
I opted out (just minutes ago)
Did it over the phone so I didnt have to put my driv. Lic. Number over the net.
Once you got through the irritating computer voice and bad elevator music, a very pleasant australian voice took two minutes, sent a confirmation email, and I was opted out.
Even if you have a record and cancel it, they still keep it for 30 years, that worried me
It appears the opt out option will be extended to end of January 2019 (was 15th November 2018).
Rank 8 - Deluxe Member
I honestly dont understand why people are so worried about this. I think this is fantastic! Have a look at this article for instance. I think there is a lot of misinformation out there.
Rank 6 - Dedicated Member
Its the possibility of the records getting hacked and private info being leaked to everyone which is driving this fear, in my opinion.Originally Posted by Raider
I work in IT and everyone keeps asking me my thoughts as well.
I guess this is why online data is such a two-edged sword. Its great from an accessibility perspective because it means other medical practitioners can get your details at very short notice so useful in emergencies, other states, etc. The flipside of course being that if their databases ever did get hacked then thats a LOT of privacy breaches (and class actions to follow I would suspect).
However if we think about this logically, the risk is no different to other everyday life aspects. We all love PayPass due to its easy 'tap-and-go' functionality, but if your card gets stolen that gives easy access to your money (in smaller quantities anyway). Someone could fish through your rubbish and grab your private documents and use you in identity theft. And in the IT world, everyone uses emails but viruses and spam and malware still can infect machines; Facebook and other social media profiles can be used for catfishing, etc.
Heck, you could argue a downside to ANYthing easily enough. It all comes down to personal preference.
For those who want to opt out, great. For those who want to keep their records on line, great too. Such is the power of democracy and choice. I certainly won't be judging people's opinions on this matter
Rank 8 - Deluxe Member
Yeah, but the same organisation just yesterday was insisting that everything was fine while their entire opt-out website had crashed.
For my part, I have 2 big concerns here: first, what happened to Andie Fox. As long as there's a government in charge who will use highly dubious overextensions of what are supposed to be highly restricted powers, to release sensitive private information in response to criticism, I don't want them having any more of my information than is absolutely necessary. I mean, this is the same mob who couldn't even run the freaking Census. No way am I trusting them with my complete medical history.
Secondly, the data isn't just available to medical services. It's also available to private/corporate interests - it was one of the original design features from the British model they copied it from, which was shut down after insurance companies and pharmaceutical outfits started abusing it. It's not just about 'being hacked', it's about the broad array of organisations who can access it legitimately, for purposes that are not necessarily in my best interests.
Having all of your medical advice readily available is a good idea, as long as it's treated carefully, responsibly, with adequate safeguards and oversight and only for the patient's medical benefit. But that's not what this is. This is more or less like giving Facebook all your medical data, only if Mark Zuckerberg had already unapologetically doxxed people who p***ed him off.
Rank 8 - Deluxe Member
That is not indicative of the security of the data though. As an example, the ATO has had a lot of issues with websites/programs crashing from strain in the past. However, when was the last time you heard that the ATO was hacked and taxpayer data was stolen? Never, it just won't happen or is exceptionally unlikely to happen.
In my mind the rewards far outweigh the risks, especially with young kids. I love the idea that no matter where I am in the country, if I take my kids to a doctor they can look up their medical history.
Rank 10 - Admin
The weak link though is that a lot of medical practices are small businesses run by doctors (or you know, equivalents) who are far from IT experts. One well trodden path for hackers to gain credit card details is the IT systems in medical practices with little or no IT security... and now they’re being given access to this database. The ATO system doesn’t provide that same access to small businesses.
Eagerly waiting for Masterpiece Meister
Rank 8 - Deluxe Member
Blatantly denying it even while the website is still down doesn't exactly inspire confidence in their ability to acknowledge and then fix problems though.
Much less when the problems are a design feature rather than just a screw-up, which sort of brings us back to Problem #2 - it's not just hackers who are the risk here. This isn't 'what flavour of pizza do you like?' or 'what Game of Thrones character are you?' level information we're talking here, this is literally your whole medical record.
I hope you're right and I hope it is all harmless, to be used for our own good. It's a good idea, as long as it's not abused. Current trends suggest it probably will be, one way or the other.
Privacy is a massive legit concern.
In my case, contracted a hideous big toe thumb from Megan Fox.
Last edited by Galvatran; 15th November 2018 at 10:44 PM.
Rank 8 - Deluxe Member
Anyone in the medical profession can look up your records. You will not be notified who has accessed your records but will be notified that "someone" has.
Its good if you have allergies to medicine and other drs can look it up.
I can just see the future of insurance companies wanting in on the records.
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