Healthcare.gov users get privacy controls as enrollment nears

Following an Associated Press report in January, the government-run Healthcare.org website scaled back its sharing of user data with third parties. Now, the site will let users opt out entirely as the next round of enrollment opens November 1st. Thanks to a new "privacy manager" feature, the Obamacare online portal allows folks to ensure details like age, income and ZIP code are kept away from advertisers and out of analytics use. It'll also disconnect from the site's social media tools. The website will also allow users to employ their browser's Do Not Track options to keep pesky advertisers at bay while accessing healthcare info on the site. "The internet is constantly changing, and we have an obligation to keep evolving alongside it," Healthcare.gov CEO Kevin Counihan wrote in a blog post. "We'll keep reevaluating our own privacy notice, the tools we use, and how they intersect with the evolving landscape of privacy on the web."

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