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NPR's Julie Rovner reports on the debate within the Bush administration over federal regulations of the privacy of medical records. The new rules were issued by the Clinton administration but haven't yet taken effect. Tommy Thompson, the new secretary of health and human services, has the authority to kill them and will announce his decision by the end of this week.

NPR's Emily Harris reports on the new laws effective today that rule whether financial institutions can share information about consumers. The disclosure requirements could cost banks billions of dollars.

NPR's Susan Stamberg begins a series of conversations about privacy with one man who is a "privacy activist." His name is Robert Ellis Smith and he's been called the "Ralph Nader" of privacy.

NPR's Larry Abramson reports on the ambiguous information-gathering rights the government can now claim, thanks to last year's USA Patriot Act. Many are concerned that Congress's approval of the new Homeland Security Department will extend the government's reach even further.

An increasing number of federal agencies are following the lead of the Department of Homeland Security in hiring privacy officers to oversee the use of personal information collected from citizens. NPR's Larry Abramson reports.

Rep. Mark Foley has been brought down not by e-mails, but transcripts of instant message (IM) "chats" his underage correspondents saved. Many people haven't thought much about where their IM messages go, and who can read them.

Callers spooked by reports that the government is assembling a massive database of telephone conversations are exploring ways to secure their privacy. For the privacy-obsessed, a prepaid cell phone and paying with cash are just the start.

To put a literary spin on the Supreme Court's recent decision to limit warrantless cellphone searches, author Craig Morgan Teicher turns to A.R. Ammons' book of poetry, Tape for the Turn of the Year.

"I've always believed in a zone of privacy," Clinton once said. Her use of a personal email account while secretary of state is just the latest example of trying to defend that zone.

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Kurt Wagner, a reporter covering Facebook and social media for the tech website Recode, about Facebook's plans to improve privacy.