1. United States
2. Neb.
3. Letter

The collection of private medical records by the National Institutes of Health without explicit consent from individuals is a concerning overreach of government authority. Compiling comprehensive patient data and health records from various federal and commercial databases to study autism raises significant privacy concerns. While understanding the causes of autism is important, this sweeping data collection initiative appears to be an invasion of privacy and a potential violation of civil liberties. Such a broad dragnet of personal medical information should not be conducted without proper oversight, transparency, and the clear consent of the individuals whose sensitive data is being gathered. This initiative warrants scrutiny to ensure it does not trample on the reasonable expectation of privacy that Americans have over their personal health information.