Alex Rosenblat is the Director of Sociotechnical Research at CalMatters and The Markup, where she studies dark patterns, privacy and product design in U.S. healthcare. Rosenblat is a blend of researcher and writer, exploring the social and cultural impacts of technology through ethnography. She is the author of Uberland: How Algorithms Are Rewriting the Rules of Work, and her writing has appeared in media outlets including The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and The Globe and Mail. Her prize-winning academic research has been published in scholarly and professional publications including the International Journal of Communication and the Columbia Law Review.
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CalMatters en Español
Información para los pacientes: Estos son los mejores consejos sobre cómo optar por no compartir tus datos
Aunque se les informa a los pacientes que pueden optar por no participar, los profesionales médicos a menudo no les dan instrucciones sobre cómo hacerlo. Para los pacientes interesados en optar por no participar, aquí les presento mis mejores consejos para comenzar.
CalMatters en Español
MyChart y un importante hospital me dijeron que podía optar por no compartir mis datos de salud. Pero no me lo pusieron fácil
Mi periplo incluyó un notario, un hospital que no respeta sus propias políticas y empleados que me dieron información errónea.
By Alex Rosenblat • October 15, 2026
Technology
MyChart and a major hospital said I could opt out of sharing my health data. But they didn’t make it easy
My journey included a notary, a hospital that won’t honor its own policies and employees that gave me wrong information.
By Alex Rosenblat • October 15, 2026
Technology
Patients: All my best tips on how to opt out of data sharing
Even when patients are told they can opt out, medical providers often don’t give patients instructions on how. For patients who are interested in opting out, here are my best tips on how to start.
By Alex Rosenblat • October 15, 2026
Technology
The form asked my permission to share my health data. Then it wouldn’t let me say no.
To experience what patients have to do to opt-out of having their data shared, I went to doctor’s appointments in seven states. One clinic showed me how easily dark patterns force patients to share their data with big healthcare networks, even when the privacy form they’re signing explicitly says they can opt-out.
By Alex Rosenblat • May 27, 2026