Abstract: Data access rights are validated by using data proxies, so that providers of services such as speech recognition are not required to know the identity and access rights of users. The need for keeping user accounts and associated data access rights synchronized between systems such as hospital active directory systems, Electronic Health Record/Electronic Medical Record (EHR/EMR) systems, and speech recognition systems is, therefore, removed. Access rights are determined using proxy data, in order to provide access to confidential data, based on the provision of the proxy data in place of user credentials. Secure access to Protected Health Information (PHI) and other confidential data is guaranteed without having to provide the user credentials, because ownership of the data provided as proxy data is equivalent to presence of access rights to the proxied data.