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Google Flu Trends spreads privacy concern

Chaks   on 10 December 2008 - 09:05 · 4 comments & 2598 views

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Google's new Flu Trends tool, which collects and analyzes search queries to predict flu outbreaks around the country, is raising concern with privacy groups.

Privacy groups have questioned the lack of transparency with the method used to predict outbreaks.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request asking federal officials to disclose how much user search data the company has recently transmitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, as part of its Google Flu Trends effort.

Google Flu Trends was publicly disclosed in November and has been described by the company as Web tool to help individuals and health care professionals obtain influenza-related activity estimates for all U.S. states up to two weeks faster than traditional government disease surveillance systems.

Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 4 additional comments
#1 n_K on 10 Dec 2008 - 11:34
On the video 'don`t show for 2 weeks'
Don`t show for? Doesn`t show for!
(1 reply) #2 Magallanes on 10 Dec 2008 - 18:56
but you can bet flu will not spread in Madagascar.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll100/C...NEVERYTHING.jpg
#2.1 +dead.cell on 10 Dec 2008 - 19:00
Ugh! That's the one country I have trouble infecting!

http://www.onemorelevel.com/game/pandemic_2
#3 C_Guy on 11 Dec 2008 - 16:03
One more thing to add to an already long list. Next they will be tailoring specific advertising for these people because I am sure they are in desperate need of an "enhanced" Internet "experience".

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