In March of this year, the UAE issued Law No. 2 of 2019 Concerning the Use of Information and Communication Technology in the Area of Health (the Healthcare Data Law), which governs the use of health data and information generated in the UAE. The law takes effect three months after issuance.
The Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, the “AP”) announced on March 8, 2016, that two companies agreed to stop processing employees’ personal health data after the AP initiated an investigation into the employers’ practices. The two companies provided their employees with wearable devices (or “wearables”), which allowed the companies to track their employees’ physical activity and sleep patterns. In addition to the two investigations, the AP issued guidance to employers emphasizing that employers are prohibited from engaging in these practice.