Richard Thurston reports in SC Magazine:
Google has defended its privacy policy following the launch of a service which offers to manage users’ medical information online.
Google yesterday launched Google Health, a hosted service which allows users to store and manage information regarding their health online, and share that information with nominated individuals.
Privacy campaigners were quick to criticise the service. Deborah Peel, founder of PatientPrivacyRights.org, argued that the risks of such a system were “massive”.
Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, claimed Google would scan users’ documents for the purposes of serving targeted adverts. “There is no question in my mind that, at the end of the day, this is about marketing pharmacology and health-related products to consumers,” he told press agency AFP.
Google immediately sought to quash such concerns. Speaking to SCMagazine today, a company spokesperson said that users had total control of who can access their records, and that they were able to revoke access at any time.
Full story – SC Magazine
Thanks to Brian Honan for this link.