Q&A
DOHMH's response to privacy concerns and council member's demand for concrete plans
0:47:51
·
109 sec
DOHMH responds to privacy concerns about the Teenspace app, stating that their contract requires student information to be kept private. Council Member Rita Joseph presses for concrete plans and timelines to address these issues.
- DOHMH states they are working with their provider partner to ensure privacy is enforced and implemented
- Council member expresses urgency and demands a clear plan to protect young people's privacy
- DOHMH commits to providing more detailed information after the hearing about steps taken to ensure privacy and protection
Marnie Davidoff
0:47:51
Yes.
0:47:52
I understand.
0:47:53
And, our contract explicitly, requires student information to be maintained privately and not to be shared.
0:48:03
And we have been working extensively with our provider partner to ensure that that is being enforced and implemented as we'd expect it to be.
Rita Joseph
0:48:11
What's the timeline on that?
Marnie Davidoff
0:48:13
I can't give you an exact timeline right now.
0:48:15
I'd be happy
Rita Joseph
0:48:16
to answer that.
0:48:16
The committee and give them the information.
0:48:19
See, what I'm asking is not I'm not asking for council member Joseph.
0:48:22
I'm asking for every single parent across this city that would use this app.
0:48:27
Their child's privacy is at risk, and there's a ad tracker.
0:48:31
And you I'm sure you're familiar with cookies.
0:48:33
The minute they click on it, start tracking young people's information.
0:48:37
What are we doing to protect the privacies of young people?
0:48:41
I don't wanna hear excuses.
0:48:42
I wanna hear plan.
0:48:44
I wanna hear what is going to happen.
Marnie Davidoff
0:48:47
Yes, council member Eichmann.
Rita Joseph
0:48:48
We can always have a separate hearing on this as well as the education chair and bring this even more forward so we can have answers.
0:48:54
So I I just want an answer today, because this is impacting all of every single person who has a child who has used teen
Marnie Davidoff
0:49:02
space.
0:49:03
I understand.
0:49:04
I'm also the parent of an adolescent.
0:49:07
Completely understand your concerns.
0:49:09
And I know that today we came prepared to speak to specifically the bills that are proposed.
0:49:15
I am more than happy to provide a more detailed answer after today's hearing on the many steps the health department has been taking to ensure the students' privacy and youth's privacy, broadly because it's not really a student mental health, initiative, but a youth mental health initiative, is held to our stand you know, highest standards of privacy and protections.
0:49:35
We are actively working on this in the moment, and I'm happy to provide more detailed information after today's hearing.
