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App For Doctors Sends Unencrypted Data

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Dissent

Max Eddy reports on a review of Calculate by QxMD:

 Appthority’s CTO Kevin Watkins writes that app fails to live up to the promises made by its own privacy policy. Specifically, the app sends private data over the network unencrypted and in plaintext. “This action directly contradicts what is stated in the app’s privacy policy: that all data is to be encrypted when transmitted,” writes Watkins.

Not Always Encrypted
For example, the privacy policy for QxMD says that they use SSL to encrypt and transmit all information. “We found that the registration and setup sends the doctor information, such as name, e-mail, and location over the network in plaintext,” wrote Watkins, noting that the app also sent zip code and city location information.

Read more on PCMag.

There are no identifiable patient data involved, but even so, if your policy says ALL info is sent encrypted, the doctors’ information shouldn’t be in plaintext, right? This could actually be the basis for a complaint to the FTC if the privacy policy is inaccurate in a material way. I’m not suggesting a complaint should be filed, but just that the app may need to either re-write the privacy policy (if the reviewer was accurate about plaintext) or re-code so that all data really are transmitted encryption. I think we all know which option is preferable.

Update of November 10: QxMD responded to the problem by fixing their code.


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