Amid ongoing controversies involving misuse of information about its users, Facebook has shelved plans to share user data with several major U.S. hospitals. CNBC reported the social media giant had scientists approach organizations, including the American College of Cardiology, about the project.
“This work has not progressed past the planning phase, and we have not received, shared or analyzed anyone’s data,” Facebook said in a statement to CNBC.
Facebook planned to anonymize the information, so no individuals would be personally identified. The data were intended for use by medical researchers. But in light of the scandal surrounding political research organization Cambridge Analytica, Facebook has faced scrutiny over possible misuse of user data.
According to CNBC, Freddy Abnousi, MD, MBA, MSc, a cardiologist in Stanford, California, led the project out of Facebook’s experiment projects group. The goal was to use patient data along with social media information to improve patient care, focusing primarily on cardiovascular health.
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Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.