Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott is being ridiculed by legal experts -- as well as anyone with a basic knowledge of medical privacy laws.
During a press conference on Friday, Prescott was asked whether he had been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.
""I don't necessarily think that's exactly important," Prescott replied. "I think that's HIPAA."
In fact, it does not violate someone's HIPAA rights to ask them to voluntarily disclose their personal medical information. In reality, HIPPA only prohibits a doctor or insurer from disclosing your private medical information to third parties.
Prescott's claim echoed an argument made by QAnon-loving Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who earlier this week accused a reporter of violating her HIPAA rights by asking about her vaccination status.
Check out some reactions to Prescott's claims below.
POLICE: so we'd like to ask you about this series of fires we think you set. we have photographs and video of you setting them. we have like 30 eyewitnesses. we have a copy of your book "Why I Set All Those Fires," and--\n\nME: unfortunately, that's HIPAA and i cannot discuss ithttps://twitter.com/GehlkenNFL/status/1418659121688047616\u00a0\u2026— Mark Berman (@Mark Berman) 1627074134
wife: please do the dishes\nme:https://twitter.com/gehlkennfl/status/1418659121688047616\u00a0\u2026— ben "limp trizkit" flores (@ben "limp trizkit" flores) 1627074079
For anyone who needs to hear this: HIPAA relates specifically to what personal health information your *healthcare providers* are permitted to release. \nHIPAA has precisely NOTHING to do with a non-healthcare provider asking you about your vaccination status.\n#HIPAAhttps://twitter.com/GehlkenNFL/status/1418659121688047616\u00a0\u2026— Fully-vaxxed Patronus \ud83e\udd84\ud83d\udcab (@Fully-vaxxed Patronus \ud83e\udd84\ud83d\udcab) 1627074053
\u201cDak, how does your ankle feel?\u201d \n\n\u201cDats HIPAA!!!\u201d \n\nhttps://twitter.com/gehlkennfl/status/1418659121688047616\u00a0\u2026— Vincent \u2696\ufe0f (@Vincent \u2696\ufe0f) 1627074024
Reporter: Hey Dak do you actually know what HIPAA is?? \n\nDak: ya it\u2019s a big ass animal that\u2019s lives near the Saharahttps://twitter.com/gehlkennfl/status/1418659121688047616\u00a0\u2026— Justo (@Justo) 1627073921
Tell me you're a fan of Marjorie Taylor Greene, without telling me you're a fan of Marjorie Taylor Greene. Dak will go first. #fuckingidiothttps://twitter.com/GehlkenNFL/status/1418659121688047616\u00a0\u2026— Chad Darnell (@Chad Darnell) 1627073855
Dak out there scrambling and avoiding questions like it\u2019s 3rd and long.https://twitter.com/GehlkenNFL/status/1418659121688047616\u00a0\u2026— Oscar Gonzalez (@Oscar Gonzalez) 1627073802
HIPAA has to be up there among the most misinterpreted laws in American historyhttps://twitter.com/gehlkennfl/status/1418659121688047616\u00a0\u2026— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan Kartje) 1627073469
This idiot went to the MTG School of Medicine #HIPAAhttps://twitter.com/GehlkenNFL/status/1418659121688047616\u00a0\u2026— Red (@Red) 1627073468
No one who is vaccinated would ever say something as stupid as this.https://twitter.com/gehlkennfl/status/1418659121688047616\u00a0\u2026— Tim Fullerton (@Tim Fullerton) 1627073382
Brought to you by the same people who think you have to tell them if you\u2019re an undercover cophttps://twitter.com/gehlkennfl/status/1418659121688047616\u00a0\u2026— \ud83d\uddef (@\ud83d\uddef) 1627074487
