Illinois governor is first in US to block federal access to personal data on autism

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has issued an executive order opposing President Trump's data collection on autism, emphasizing privacy and preventing surveillance or discrimination. The order restricts state agencies from disclosing such data unless consent is obtained or legally required. Experts are concerned that advancing technology could make previously private data vulnerable to misuse, while recent plans by the U.S. Health Secretary to use federal health data for autism research despite the directive highlight tensions between privacy and scientific studies show no link between vaccines and autism, underscoring the need for such measures to protect individual freedom.