The Hill - Google sparks new privacy fears over health care data

Daniel Hanley of Open Markets Institute was interviewed in a piece in The Hill about the risks Google poses in holding health data and how the corporation's track record in protecting data has been less than ideal.

“The House is also considering new health data policy rules, and a House Energy and Commerce Committee spokesperson said that “meaningful protections and consumer control for health data not covered by HIPAA” will be included in upcoming comprehensive privacy legislation.

Much of the criticism, though, has centered on Google, with privacy advocates skeptical of the company’s promises.

Some critics worry that the tech giant will invariably use the data from Ascension for other, non-health related purposes.

“Health care data is very personal, and Google doesn’t have a track record to protect [it],” said Daniel Hanley, a policy analyst at the Open Markets Institute, a think tank critical of Silicon Valley. “They’ve already shown that they’re going to integrate their data ... that’s the core of their business model.””

Read the full story on The Hill here.