A few years ago, when Joshua Landy and two colleagues wanted to create an app for doctors to share photos of their patients, their first step was hiring a lawyer. They were right to be concerned. In the United States, strict so-called HIPAA laws make it illegal for doctors, hospitals, or insurance companies to divulge anyone's personal medical information without consent. Similar laws exist in Canada and other countries. But these privacy rules do not extend to photos of unidentifiable people. So Landy's team created tools within their app to help doctors remove any personal details, such as faces or tattoos.
