China Daily reports on citizens' concerns about health-related data privacy issues that have emerged on the heels of a policy proposal that requires patients submitting to voluntary HIV screening to provide their real names. The results of a recent survey of Chinese web users suggest the vast majority would forego the screening for fear of data leakage. China's Communicable Disease Prevention Act requires local centers for disease control to release the names, addresses, ID numbers and workplace information to a central body. Lu Hongzhou said the data needs to be recorded "because the situation will get out of control if we lose track of the source of infection. Then, it will no longer be about someone's privacy, it will be a problem for society."
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