Google has collected the health data of millions of patients, without their knowledge

An investigation by Wall Street Journal has revealed that Google has collected information on the health of millions of US patients without their knowledge, on behalf of Ascension, the largest Catholic health services organization in the world. Following the publication of the article, and other information disclosed by New York Times, Google admitted to having managed the data and confirmed that it had done so as part of a new initiative called "Project Nightingale", dedicated to the management of health data. Ascension and Google claim not to have violated the law, but many observers have found potential privacy problems, which add to the recurring doubts about how large technology platforms treat their users' data.

According to Wall Street Journal, the information gathered affects people residing in at least 21 states and includes: "Laboratory tests, medical diagnoses, medical records and the history of patient health information, including names, surnames and dates of births". These data, collected through Ascension, were also visible to about 150 Google employees, who were responsible for implementing the management system on behalf of the health service provider.

After the publication of the investigation on Wall Street Journal, the New York Times published an article based on information gathered from other sources, which basically confirmed the same circumstances. Dozens of Google employees had access to the data, with the possibility of being able to download and save it elsewhere, without the patients being informed about the project.

As Google later explained, to clarify its position and reject part of the accusations, Project Nightingale is oriented to offer companies active in the health sector resources of various types to manage patient data. In the case of Ascension, the activities involved saving data on Google's cloud systems, in view of the use of artificial intelligence systems to improve cataloging and information management. Through the new system, doctors should more easily access the digital versions of their patients' medical records, which can then be shared with other specialists and with those who carry out diagnostic tests.

Following the publication of the articles, Ascension issued a statement announcing the collaboration with Google, claiming that the initiative will allow: "Optimizing the health and well-being of individuals and communities, offering a digital wallet for various needs" . The company also believes it has managed the data transfer by respecting the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the law in the United States that establishes how private sector health workers can share patient data for the management of their practices.

Google also published its own statement, in which it formally announced the launch of Project Nightingale, as an initiative for the management of health data. A company spokesman also rejected the accusation about secretly collecting the health data of millions of Americans, claiming that they had not made the initiative public because it was still in its infancy and is being defined. However, it is not clear why the patients concerned had not yet been informed about the news for the management of their data, nor when they would have received updates if the investigation of the Wall Street Journal.

In recent years, numerous large Internet companies have begun to explore the opportunities offered by the health sector, especially in the United States where its management is mostly in the hands of private clinics and insurance companies. In addition to Google, companies like Amazon and Apple are working on various types of projects to manage patient data, in order to make it easier for doctors to access their medical records, and to manage insurance practices. In the case of Amazon, there has also been talk for some time of a particular interest from its CEO, Jeff Bezos, for the private healthcare and insurance sector, which could lead to the creation of a new service at cheaper prices for patients.

Last year, Google strengthened its division that deals with health data, and then announced a project to introduce artificial intelligence systems (AI) derived from DeepMind, a company that is part of its Alphabet holding dedicated to the development of AI in numerous sectors.

Google is also involved in a class action suit initiated last June, accused of having handled the health data of hundreds of thousands of patients without the necessary permits. The story concerns an agreement that Google had made with the University of Chicago to access patient data collected between 2009 and 2016, with the aim of using them for its artificial intelligence systems. The program had the objective of creating solutions to predict patients' need for hospitalization, the number of days to stay in the hospital and the possible prognosis.

Artificial intelligence and systems for saving patient health information in data centers could offer great benefits, not only to improve the management of hospitals and medical centers, but also to improve diagnostic systems and offer new resources to researchers. However, experts on privacy have long said that such progress should be accompanied by new laws to protect the privacy of patients, especially in the United States where private individuals have greater control and is already witnessing a substantial digitization of health information.