According to Reuters, Facebook wants to get into the healthcare business via your personal health care status. The report states, "[t]he company [Facebook] is exploring creating online "support
communities" that would connect Facebook users suffering from various
ailments. A small team is also considering new "preventative care" applications that would help people improve their lifestyles."
Is Facebook a safe environment to share personal health information? This is a question that Facebook users need to answer themselves. Would I ever trust Facebook with my personal health information? I don't utilize Facebook to communicate with my family or friends or for any reason other than to explore the constantly changing features on the platform. For the past several years, I have only utilized Facebook for professional purposes since I don't trust the platform with my personal information.
If you watch Cullen Hoback's documentary Terms and Conditions May Apply you may better understand how Facebook utilizes your personal information. If watching a documentary is not up your alley, I encourage you to read the clause on Facebook's Terms and Conditions that states, "...you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings:
you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable,
royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on
or in connection with Facebook (IP License)." In layman's terms by posting content on Facebook you agree to Facebook utilizing your content in any way it sees fit.
Last year, Forbes reported that Facebook entered into agreements with multiple data brokers to ensure that the personal information you post (i.e. your friends lists, status updates, likes, etc..) is provided to companies/shadowy entities that are creating detailed online and offline personal dossiers about people. Besides advertisers, the information posted on Facebook may be utilized by insurance companies to deny claims and/or employers to discriminate against employees, and colleges to turn down applicants.
If after reading the above you still want to share your personal medical information with Facebook that is your right. When it comes to privacy, you don't know how valuable it is until you lose it.
Copyright 2014 by Shear Law, LLC All rights reserved.
