The HIPAA Privacy Rule is a federal regulation established to protect the privacy of individuals' health information. It sets standards for how healthcare providers, health plans, and other entities handle and share personal health data. Under this rule, patients have rights over their health information, including the right to access their records and request corrections. The Privacy Rule applies to covered entities, which include healthcare providers who transmit health information electronically, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. It also mandates that these entities implement safeguards to ensure the confidentiality of protected health information (PHI) and restricts its use and disclosure without patient consent.