Comments on: Your health data in Google’s hands

By: Just my two cents

Just my two cents — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:19:04 +0000

Now this is a service where I think Google is going too far, in that the data is not something that anyone can just go to a library to read, or drive up to take a look at.

There is a difference in public information and private information, and private information like this should not be handled by any advertising agency, whether it be online or not.

Just my two cents

By: Jakykong

Jakykong — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:52:44 +0000

I respect Google as a search engine. However, this is definitely too much for them to be doing.

I don’t want Google to have my private medical history. I don’t trust their systems administrators not to take a peek. I don’t trust that data won’t be leaked, sold to the highest bidder, or otherwise mistreated. It’s happened before, after all (youtube/warner takedowns, for example).

You can be sure that I’ll fastidiously avoid the pharmacies noted here, and I will make a statement to every pharmacy I do go to that I don’t want this information spread around. I thought doctors and pharmacists had privacy laws to uphold? How is selling my data to google, noble cause or not, permissible under said privacy laws? Inquiring minds want to know.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:59:44 +0000

Not only that, but it will create direct user-targeted advertising by knowing which meds you are on.

Do you take blood pressure pills? Healthy harvest crunch cereal will target u

Do you take a pill for over active bladder? Depends will target u (or some astronaut diaper maker).

Get your whole prescription history? They can probably make out each illness you and your kids have and will have (genetically targeted) and target u based on this.

I won’t use a pharmacy that would give google my data. I hope these pharmacies informed their customer before any data is given.

Wait till the exploits comes out..