Google secret project gathers health data of millions of Americans-WSJ

Alphabet Inc's Google is teaming up with a health-care company on a secret project to collect personal health-related information of millions of Americans across 21 states, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Google launched "Project Nightingale" last year with St. Louis-based Ascension, according to the report, citing people familiar with the matter and internal documents. (https://on.wsj.com/2q3WCer)

Google and Ascension did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The data involved in Project Nightingale includes lab results, doctor diagnoses, and hospitalization records, among other categories, and amounts to complete health history, complete with patient names and dates of birth, the Journal reported.

The news follows an earlier announcement from Google that it would buy Fitbit Inc for $2.1 billion, aiming to enter the wearables segment and invest in digital health.

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