12 votes

Google’s secret ‘Project Nightingale’ gathers personal health data on millions of Americans

9 comments

  1. [5]
    Wendigo
    Link
    I just love it when my medical information is just happily used without my permission. I mean, yeah sure just go on and sell it. Not like there aren't dubious people out there that could use it...

    I just love it when my medical information is just happily used without my permission. I mean, yeah sure just go on and sell it. Not like there aren't dubious people out there that could use it against me in a number of ways. Thanks Google!

    6 votes
    1. [3]
      Wes
      Link Parent
      I recognize the sarcasm, but to clarify for others, Google does not sell user data. They use data collected to improve ad targeting and that stays within the company. Unfortunately there's a lot...

      I mean, yeah sure just go on and sell it.

      I recognize the sarcasm, but to clarify for others, Google does not sell user data. They use data collected to improve ad targeting and that stays within the company.

      Unfortunately there's a lot of misinformation surrounding this topic.

      8 votes
      1. drannex
        Link Parent
        Using targeted advertisements you can discern private information from people who were targeted, especially when you attribute a pixel-tracking system in place to further information gathering....
        • Exemplary

        Using targeted advertisements you can discern private information from people who were targeted, especially when you attribute a pixel-tracking system in place to further information gathering.

        This is still a pretty clear way of 'selling' off information, even if it's through a middleman such as an 'ad targeting' algorithm. Information is still being sold either way.

        While there is a lot of misinformation out there, tracking is something that is misunderstood and vastly under the radar in terms of severe privacy related issues.

        8 votes
      2. Wendigo
        Link Parent
        Yeah, I shouldn't have put that there. My bad

        Yeah, I shouldn't have put that there. My bad

        3 votes
    2. tlalexander
      Link Parent
      You have now consented to Perpetual Google Data Collection. To release consent, simply reboot yourself and start again as a new human. Google thanks you for your participation.

      I mean, yeah sure just go on and sell it.

      You have now consented to Perpetual Google Data Collection. To release consent, simply reboot yourself and start again as a new human. Google thanks you for your participation.

      3 votes
  2. Wes
    Link
    Sounds like Google Health v2. I wonder if they'll be ready for the challenges of thousands of independent health databases this time. Medical research and "big data" have a lot of potential for...

    Sounds like Google Health v2. I wonder if they'll be ready for the challenges of thousands of independent health databases this time.

    Google in this case is using the data, in part, to design new software, underpinned by advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning, that zeroes in on individual patients to suggest changes to their care.

    Medical research and "big data" have a lot of potential for public good. A way to automatically analyse patterns to find relationships could save millions of lives through faster disease detection or medical research.

    Of course, it's also a very tricky subject, as the WSJ's pointed headline has made clear. But if any company can make it work, it'd probably be Google.

    4 votes
  3. skybrian
    Link
    They claim it's all HIPAA-compliant. Is HIPAA not strong enough to provide adequate protection for medical records?

    They claim it's all HIPAA-compliant. Is HIPAA not strong enough to provide adequate protection for medical records?

    3 votes
  4. retiredrugger
    Link
    I feel like it should be criminal for any organization designed to target you with advertisements should be allowed to have such an extreme level of data on you.

    I feel like it should be criminal for any organization designed to target you with advertisements should be allowed to have such an extreme level of data on you.

    3 votes