It’s no secret that Facebook tracks users’ friendships and monitors their interests for advertising placement – but now sources tell Reuters the social networking site is also curious about subscribers’ health information.
Three people familiar with discussions underway at the social media giant told Reuters that the company is interested in expanding into healthcare, and has been meeting with medical providers and experts.
As the plans are in development, the individuals requested anonymity but said that Facebook “is setting up a research and development unit to test new health app…[for] support communities…[and] new preventative care applications that would help people improve their lifestyles.”
READ MORE: Facebook toughens user-data research rules, but offers no ‘opt-out’
Last year, for example, Facebook’s geodata was used in a Boston Children’s Hospital study to analyze obesity in various communities. The study, published in the PLOS One journal, showed that in cities or neighborhoods where a higher percentage of people listed healthy, active interests on Facebook – users may have “liked” activities such as running or biking – the lower that area’s obesity rate turned out to be. A large percentage of Facebook users with television-related interests, meanwhile, tended to have higher rates of obesity.
Read the Full Article: Source – Russia Today
http://rt.com/usa/193088-facebook-healthcare-apps-tracking/
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