988 Administrator: Privacy of Text Messages Is 'a Priority'
Don't worry that any georouting of text messages to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will give a sender's exact physical location, Lifeline administrator Vibrant Emotional Health said Thursday (docket 18-336). Pointing to privacy concerns regarding those texting, Vibrant said…
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it would implement a georouting solution that sends messages to the nearest appropriate crisis center, using the same or similar boundaries as those in place for georouted voice calls to minimize user-specific data. "User confidentiality will remain a priority, with strict adherence to data handling protocols," Vibrant said. It said the platform it makes available to crisis contact centers complies with national best practices regarding data, privacy and security. Counselors at the crisis contact centers don't have access to an individual's exact location for georouting voice calls, and georouting of texts will be handled the same way, it added.