{"id":53402,"date":"2014-10-04T06:00:04","date_gmt":"2014-10-04T06:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=53402"},"modified":"2014-10-03T17:43:48","modified_gmt":"2014-10-03T17:43:48","slug":"facebook-may-be-the-next-tech-company-collecting-your-health-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/10\/facebook-may-be-the-next-tech-company-collecting-your-health-data\/","title":{"rendered":"Facebook may be the next tech company collecting your health data"},"content":{"rendered":"
Facebook<\/a>\u00a0may be the latest tech company eyeing your health information.<\/p>\n The social network is reportedly looking into creating a healthcare-related app and “support communities” on the site where people suffering from certain ailments would be able to connect, according to a\u00a0Reuters<\/a>\u00a0report.<\/p>\n The “preventative care” would help users improve their lifestyles, it added.<\/p>\n Details about Facebook’s plans to enter the healthcare space are limited, but the company may have been meeting with medical industry experts for months to test and develop the app or applications.<\/p>\n The report also added that Facebook plans to launch a health app under a different name as a way to ease up on privacy concerns out of the gate. Facebook has been under scrutiny recently for a myriad of privacy concerns, including one related to\u00a0manipulating users’ emotions<\/a>\u00a0as a part of a research study.<\/p>\n The news comes as at a time when other companies like Google and Apple are dabbling with health and fitness data.<\/p>\n Apple recently launched its\u00a0Health app<\/a>, a hub for iOS 8 users to keep track of fitness goals and health-related information, and Google is working on\u00a0Google Fit<\/a>\u00a0for Android that tracks similar data across various platforms and wearables.<\/p>\n Although it might seem strange for Facebook to dip its toes into health, its executives believe giving people a way to talk more about healthcare could increase engagement on the site too, the report said.<\/p>\n The site noticed an uptick in those with chronic ailments looking for advice, and creating a place where people could share treatment experiences and other information may be the Facebook’s way of addressing that demand.<\/p>\n