Sleep patterns. Heart rates. Menstrual cycles. Weight fluctuations. Medication schedules. The location of major world leaders. Every morning, millions of people strap on smartwatches, open period-tracking apps, and upload their most intimate details to the cloud. We're told this data will optimize our health, help us live better lives. But there's a darker question lurking beneath the surface: Who actually owns all this information, and where exactly is the line between optimization and surveillance?

First things first: What HIPAA actually protects

In discussing this topic with friends and family, most everyone I know assumed their health data enjoys robust federal protections under HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Sadly, they're wrong. HIPAA applies exclu

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