Latest news with #dataSharing
Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Singapore moves to tighten public sector data-sharing rules after SingHealth attack
SINGAPORE, Aug 15 — Singapore is moving to strengthen its Public Sector Governance Act (PSGA) to ensure tighter control over how public agencies share data with external partners. The amendments will enable public sector agencies to authorise an external partner to receive data that is required for the services they are delivering on behalf of the public sector, The Straits Times reported today. The minister of the public sector agency, or a qualified person appointed by such minister, must authorise the data sharing. PSGA was designed to provide a clear legal basis for data sharing across the public sector and details data protection and data sharing requirements for public agencies. In some instances, standards for public agencies are more stringent than the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), which applies to the private sector. As an example, the Singapore daily said the PSGA imposes criminal penalties on individual public officers who flout rules. These safeguards were tightened after Singapore's worst cyber attack in June 2018, when hackers stole the personal data of 1.5 million SingHealth patients and the outpatient prescription information of 160,000 people, including then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong. The Straits Times reported that in 2018, 14,200 patients from the Ministry of Health's HIV registry had their confidential data leaked, and 223 State Courts case files were accessed without authorisation due to a system vulnerability. Under the proposed changes, individuals with external parties who misuse shared data may be subject to the same level of penalties as public officers under the PSGA. 'The Government takes seriously its responsibility to protect the data entrusted to the public sector, and will continue to ensure robust data governance, as it seeks to achieve greater public value from the use of data,' said MDDI. The deadline for public feedback on the proposed changes, accepted at this website is 5pm on September 2.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Everybody is confused.' Communication issues hurting Pierce homeless response
Consultants hired by Pierce County to plan and implement the Unified Regional Approach to homelessness are mapping the county's homelessness response system. Already they have identified needs for better data sharing, transparency and accountability. The Unified Regional Approach (URA) is an attempt to satisfy the first goal identified in Pierce County's Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness, established by the Pierce County Council four years ago. The URA is intended to bring together government, community and nonprofit partners involved with the region's response to the homelessness crisis. The idea is that better coordination and cooperation is needed between jurisdictions and communities. The effort to assemble the first URA meeting has been long and costly. Last year, Pierce County offered $1 million to a consulting firm to help organize and implement the URA. Uncommon Bridges was the consulting firm chosen. During a Pierce County Council study session on Aug. 11, Brian Scott, the project director from Uncommon Bridges, gave council members an update on the URA's development. The consultants have hosted several meetings with three separate task forces to determine how the URA will operate, how it will govern itself, and how it will be financed. The task forces are composed of representatives from cities around the region, service providers, public agencies, advocates and volunteers. Scott said his team identified several themes regarding Pierce County's homelessness-response system from the members of the task forces, describing certain themes as 'redundant.' Some areas for improvement identified include the need to make services centered around the needs of clients, flexibility in how services are provided, and systems to help improve processes that might otherwise maintain the status quo. Themes and concerns identified by the finance task force include the need to consolidate the grant funding process for services, researching new funding sources and creating a dedicated agency to advocate for state and federal funding for the region. Some needs identified by the governance task force include a need for an interlocal agreement to clarify the roles and responsibilities of URA members and the scope of what it will do, as well as a need for what Scott called 'participation equity.' He described 'participation equity' as a way of looking at how jurisdictions are sharing resources with each other in a way that is fair. 'How do you balance the fact that Pierce County and Tacoma are big jurisdictions compared to many smaller cities and the tribes in the region, and you sort of can't expect everybody to send people and money at the same level, but you kind of need them there to make the system work,' Scott told the council. 'We realize finding that equitable spot amongst those jurisdictions is going to be one of the hard parts of this process.' Scott said another recurring issue identified is the need for better data sharing and data transparency across agencies and jurisdictions. 'Maybe the one that comes up most quickly and most repeatedly is shared data. That is: What are people tracking? How are they reporting it? How are records being kept? Is the data [something] you can trust?' he said. 'And that seems to be an overarching thing that comes up in every single group.' The need for accountability and transparency in decisions made about funding and resources is also a common theme identified across all the task forces. Scott said the URA will have to identify someone to do oversight over how funds are allocated and whether those funds are used correctly. The consultants told the council they are mapping Pierce County's homelessness-response system as it currently exists. That means looking at all the jurisdictions to identify what resources are available to those experiencing homelessness and how people can access those resources. 'We're basically trying to gather this information, and frankly, if you kind of take what we are hearing at the highest level, everybody 's like, 'Well, talk to them,' or, you know, 'So-and-so says this,' and everybody is confused,' Scott told the council. The patchwork system of services and programs across the county can be difficult to quantify. When asked by a council member about the current shelter capacity or the estimated need for services a year from now, Scott was reluctant to answer. 'That's why we are doing these system illustrations because we feel like we can't,' he answered. 'Even if I came in here and said a number, I would feel like there would be three people behind me telling you it's the wrong number.' Uncommon Bridges expects to have the URA fully designed by February 2026.
The Guardian
17-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Ice given access to Medicaid data in move critics call a privacy betrayal
Medicaid officials have reportedly made an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) to allow agents to examine a database of Americans' personal information – including home addresses, social security numbers and ethnicities. The data sharing agreement will allow Ice to find 'the location of aliens', according to an agreement obtained by the Associated Press. Medicaid is the nation's single largest health insurer, providing coverage for 79 million low-income, disabled and elderly people. 'This is about the weaponization of data, full stop,' said Pramila Jayapal, a Democratic US representative from Washington state, who has worked extensively on US healthcare, in a statement on social media. 'Trump said he would go after the 'worst of the worst' immigrants, yet now is giving ICE EVERYONE's Medicaid data, even as ICE targets US citizens. Oh, and undocumented immigrants can't even enroll in Medicaid.' The AP first reported the existence of an agreement between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) in June. Trump administration officials reportedly overrode the warnings of career civil servants who said such a data sharing arrangement would violate multiple statutes at the insistence of top aides to health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. 'Multiple federal statutory and regulatory authorities do not permit CMS to share this information with entities outside of CMS,' Medicaid deputy director Sara Vitolo wrote, according to a memo obtained by the AP in June. Trump administration officials defended the data sharing agreement as a tool to prevent waste, fraud and abuse. 'HHS and CMS take the integrity of the Medicaid program and the protection of American taxpayer dollars extremely seriously,' said health and human services (HHS) spokesperson Emily Hilliard, in response to questions from the Guardian. 'With respect to the recent data sharing between CMS and DHS, HHS acted entirely within its legal authority – and in full compliance with all applicable laws – to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them.' Hilliard's statement went on to criticize the Biden administration for opening 'the floodgates for illegal immigrants to exploit Medicaid'. Hilliard said data sharing was part of an 'oversight effort – supported by lawful interagency data sharing with DHS,' that 'is focused on identifying waste, fraud, and systemic abuse. We are not only protecting taxpayer dollars – we are restoring credibility to one of America's most vital programs.' In June, the Trump administration similarly defended the data sharing agreement as part of an effort to ensure undocumented migrants who are not eligible for the program did not receive benefits. The new agreement reported by the AP said: 'ICE will use the CMS data to allow ICE to receive identity and location information on aliens identified by ICE.' The administration arrested about 650 people per day during the first five months of the administration, according to the AP. The Trump administration is seeking to boost arrests in its crackdown on undocumented migrants, hoping to detain as many as 3,000 people per day. The administration has also enacted a strategy of arresting migrants at churches, courthouses and at a wide range of workplaces. Immigrant farm workers reportedly feel 'hunted like animals' and immigrant construction workers face exploitation, as immigration agents have sought to increase arrests. Undocumented migrants are generally not eligible for Medicaid and only some lawfully present migrants may obtain coverage under the program. Eligible noncitizen immigrants represent only about 6% of people currently enrolled in Medicaid, according to the healthcare research non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation. The Trump administration has deeply cut Medicaid by adding bureaucracy and red tape. Income-eligible undocumented immigrants could once enroll in Medicaid in California, however new enrollment in the program was paused by Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. It is unclear whether Ice agents have already accessed Medicaid information, according to the AP. However, even the existence of such an agreement could deter people from seeking needed medical care, including for children. 'This is a privacy violation of unprecedented proportions and betrayal of trust, as the government has explicitly said, for decades, that this information will never be used for immigration enforcement,' said Ben D'Avanzo, a healthcare strategist at the National Immigration Law Center, on social media. The Guardian reached out to homeland security. The agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Guardian
17-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Ice given access to Medicaid data in move critics call a privacy betrayal
Medicaid officials have reportedly made an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) to allow agents to examine a database of Americans' personal information – including home addresses, social security numbers and ethnicities. The data sharing agreement will allow Ice to find 'the location of aliens', according to an agreement obtained by the Associated Press. Medicaid is the nation's single largest health insurer, providing coverage for 79 million low-income, disabled and elderly people. 'This is about the weaponization of data, full stop,' said Pramila Jayapal, a Democratic US representative from Washington state, who has worked extensively on US healthcare, in a statement on social media. 'Trump said he would go after the 'worst of the worst' immigrants, yet now is giving ICE EVERYONE's Medicaid data, even as ICE targets US citizens. Oh, and undocumented immigrants can't even enroll in Medicaid.' The AP first reported the existence of an agreement between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) in June. Trump administration officials reportedly overrode the warnings of career civil servants who said such a data sharing arrangement would violate multiple statutes at the insistence of top aides to health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. 'Multiple federal statutory and regulatory authorities do not permit CMS to share this information with entities outside of CMS,' Medicaid deputy director Sara Vitolo wrote, according to a memo obtained by the AP in June. Trump administration officials defended the data sharing agreement as a tool to prevent waste, fraud and abuse. 'HHS and CMS take the integrity of the Medicaid program and the protection of American taxpayer dollars extremely seriously,' said health and human services (HHS) spokesperson Emily Hilliard, in response to questions from the Guardian. 'With respect to the recent data sharing between CMS and DHS, HHS acted entirely within its legal authority – and in full compliance with all applicable laws – to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them.' Hilliard's statement went on to criticize the Biden administration for opening 'the floodgates for illegal immigrants to exploit Medicaid'. Hilliard said data sharing was part of an 'oversight effort – supported by lawful interagency data sharing with DHS,' that 'is focused on identifying waste, fraud, and systemic abuse. We are not only protecting taxpayer dollars – we are restoring credibility to one of America's most vital programs.' In June, the Trump administration similarly defended the data sharing agreement as part of an effort to ensure undocumented migrants who are not eligible for the program did not receive benefits. The new agreement reported by the AP said: 'ICE will use the CMS data to allow ICE to receive identity and location information on aliens identified by ICE.' The administration arrested about 650 people per day during the first five months of the administration, according to the AP. The Trump administration is seeking to boost arrests in its crackdown on undocumented migrants, hoping to detain as many as 3,000 people per day. The administration has also enacted a strategy of arresting migrants at churches, courthouses and at a wide range of workplaces. Immigrant farm workers reportedly feel 'hunted like animals' and immigrant construction workers face exploitation, as immigration agents have sought to increase arrests. Undocumented migrants are generally not eligible for Medicaid and only some lawfully present migrants may obtain coverage under the program. Eligible noncitizen immigrants represent only about 6% of people currently enrolled in Medicaid, according to the healthcare research non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation. The Trump administration has deeply cut Medicaid by adding bureaucracy and red tape. Income-eligible undocumented immigrants could once enroll in Medicaid in California, however new enrollment in the program was paused by Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. It is unclear whether Ice agents have already accessed Medicaid information, according to the AP. However, even the existence of such an agreement could deter people from seeking needed medical care, including for children. 'This is a privacy violation of unprecedented proportions and betrayal of trust, as the government has explicitly said, for decades, that this information will never be used for immigration enforcement,' said Ben D'Avanzo, a healthcare strategist at the National Immigration Law Center, on social media. The Guardian reached out to homeland security. The agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Privacy Vs. Policing: Treasury's Tax Information Sharing Deal
Laptop and download file getty In this episode of Tax Notes Talk , Tax Notes investigations editor Lauren Loricchio discusses Treasury's information sharing agreement with the Department of Homeland Security and its implications for immigrants. Tax Notes Talk is a podcast produced by Tax Notes. This transcript has been edited for clarity. David D. Stewart: Welcome to the podcast. I'm David Stewart, editor in chief of Tax Notes Today International . This week: data sharing. As we've covered extensively, the IRS has been under a continual spotlight since the beginning of the Trump administration. From funding rollbacks to staff reductions, concerns have mounted over the agency's future. And now, Treasury's decision to share taxpayer information with the Department of Homeland Security has led to increased uncertainty over the privacy of tax data. So what are the risks of this agreement, and how are those affected responding? Here to talk more about this is Tax Notes investigations editor Lauren Loricchio. Lauren, welcome back to the podcast. Lauren Loricchio: Great to be back. David D. Stewart: As I mentioned in the opening, Treasury entered into an information sharing agreement with the Department of Homeland Security. Could you tell us about that? Lauren Loricchio: They did. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signed a memorandum of understanding April 7, which established a mechanism for the IRS to share information with the Department of Homeland Security under Internal Revenue Code section 6103(i)(2). That code provision allows the IRS to share limited tax return information with other agencies if the information will help with criminal enforcement. This agreement first became a concern when The Washington Post reported in March that the IRS was getting close to reaching a deal with DHS and that IRS officials were worried it would run afoul of privacy protections in the Internal Revenue Code. We can now see some of the terms of the agreement after the MOU was revealed in court documents. David D. Stewart: What types of taxpayers are being affected by this agreement? Lauren Loricchio: The attorneys that I've spoken to say it is a particular concern for undocumented immigrants, who typically file their taxes using an individual taxpayer identification number, also known as an ITIN. The program allows people without a Social Security number to comply with their tax filing obligations, so many undocumented immigrants file their taxes this way. Not everyone who uses an ITIN to file their taxes is undocumented. To apply for an ITIN, taxpayers submit a form W-7, which asks for their mailing and foreign address, country of citizenship, type of U.S. visa, and date of entry into the United States. David D. Stewart: So what are the concerns about this information sharing agreement and the overall environment where it was entered into? Lauren Loricchio: Sure. Tax return information is protected from disclosure under Internal Revenue Code section 6103. The IRS has historically encouraged undocumented immigrants to file their taxes, saying it doesn't share their personal information with other agencies, like the Department of Homeland Security. While there was some worry about the safety of this data, tax professionals could say with relative certainty that undocumented immigrants should feel safe filing their taxes with the IRS. But now with this information sharing agreement in place, tax professionals say the advice they're giving clients has changed because the information their clients provide to the IRS, including their address, could potentially be used against them. Some of the tax professionals I've spoken to are worried this information sharing agreement will deter immigrants from filing their taxes, which can in turn have a negative impact on revenue collection. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released a report last year, which found that undocumented immigrants paid nearly $100 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022. David D. Stewart: So what led you down this path to look into this issue? Lauren Loricchio: When news of the information sharing agreement broke, I heard concerns from tax professionals that this data sharing agreement might deter immigrants from filing their taxes. So I wanted to learn more about the impact on tax filing this year, and I spoke with undocumented immigrants to find out how the situation was affecting them. David D. Stewart: And what sort of things did you learn? Lauren Loricchio: The stories I heard were different, but they all had something in common: Each person I spoke with said they wanted to comply with their tax filing obligations and follow the law, but they were scared that their information could be used against them. One person I spoke with, who's originally from Brazil and goes by the nickname Rob, said he normally files his taxes each year with an ITIN, but he didn't file this year because he was afraid that he would be deported. I spoke with a factory worker who fled Colombia to escape threats from a crime group. He said he paid his taxes this year despite the potential consequences. He fears for his life if he returns to Colombia, but he wanted to follow the law. Another woman I spoke with who is originally from Guatemala and is self-employed said she filed for an extension this year; she has an eight-year-old daughter who is a U.S. citizen, and she's afraid that she could be separated from her. David D. Stewart: I understand that there is some litigation over this. Could you tell us about that and where it stands? Lauren Loricchio: Back in March, two immigrant rights advocacy groups filed litigation to challenge the disclosure of immigrant taxpayer data. The complaint argues that section 6103 forbids the IRS and Treasury from sharing tax returns or tax return information for purposes of immigration enforcement. The man standing in the fog. evening night time getty Nina Olson, the executive director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights and a former national taxpayer advocate, submitted an affidavit in support of the plaintiffs. She's a member of Tax Analysts' board of directors, and Tax Notes also funds a joint transparency project with the Center for Taxpayer Rights. She argues that the MOU is flawed because it says the information sharing agreement is permissible under section 6103(i)(2), which permits the disclosure of tax return information in support of an investigation or preparation for judicial proceedings to help with criminal investigations, and the MOU says the information sharing is to facilitate civil immigration enforcement. But the judge in that case sided with the federal government, writing that the plaintiffs' reading of section 6103(i)(2) doesn't comport with the text of the statute, and she denied a request from plaintiffs to block Treasury from disclosing taxpayer information for immigration enforcement. The case isn't over yet; the plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal on May 21 with the D.C. circuit. David D. Stewart: So what are some of the other concerns you're hearing about this in your reporting? Lauren Loricchio: I spoke with Danny Werfel, who recently stepped down as IRS commissioner, and he said if the IRS begins sharing tax data without first seeking explicit statutory authority from Congress, it could have a broader impact. Werfel said, because the U.S. tax system is based on voluntary compliance, it doesn't take a large amount of noncompliance to make a big impact on tax receipts. If this expansion of IRS authority affects voluntary compliance even by 1 percent, it could lead to tens of billions of dollars in lost revenue, he said. Another issue raised by Nina Olson is that IRS employees could be subject to penalties for disclosing or inspecting information in violation of section 6103. David D. Stewart: Does this policy raise other tax administration concerns? Lauren Loricchio: Yeah, I think the concern is that it could deter immigrants from filing their taxes, and part of that is that a lot of people are living in mixed-status households. So some people might have a relative who is undocumented, and they might be afraid to file their taxes because they're afraid that someone in their household could be deported. David D. Stewart: So since you are primarily interested in our investigative side here at Tax Notes , is there a way that listeners could reach out to you with more information that they may have? Lauren Loricchio: Yeah, we're watching this issue closely. If you have tips or want to speak with us, you can reach us via email at or you can reach our reporters securely via the Signal app at taxnotesnews.08. David D. Stewart: Well, Lauren, thank you so much for being here. This has been an interesting conversation. Lauren Loricchio: Thank you for having me.
