Data collection is unethical
If someone is talking about their health condition online, they are doing it with their own consent. But, when companies collect data anonymously via search engines, that’s not ethical at all.
From Mr Mohammad Azam
Abu Dhabi
Needs permission
What angers me about this is that if these companies know what kind of diseases and illnesses they can predict, that means they have already used our personal information to get this far. How many of us knew that was happening? I can see it being useful and there is potential to help thousands of unknowing people who are sick, but there needs to be a way to get permission.
Personally, I’m okay with this data being collected. Kind of like organ donating – you can use it if you have previously taken my permission.
From Mr Jacob Bebee
UAE
How could it be accurate?
Searching for certain details about particular diseases doesn’t at all mean that the person is ill. Online analysis can’t be that accurate to detect sickness. It will all be based on assumptions. Sometimes we search for the sake of awareness and knowledge. It’s all the private matters of an individual.
From Ms Sadaf Nadeem
UAE
Looking up many things
I don’t think it could be accurate at all. In a lot of cases, I search conditions of close relatives or close friends – not always mine.
From Ms Bint Aloulaqi
UAE
What about misdiagnosis?
You are confused, Ms Sadaf Nadeem and Ms Bint Aloulaqi. It’s not just what you look up, it’s whether your reaction time on the phone has slowly decreased or you keep looking up the same things because you are forgetting things easily. They are observing patterns and looking for changes.
Even so, how accurate could it be? I would be pretty upset to be misdiagnosed.
From Ms Kayla Jackson
Dubai
Private information
It’s a matter of privacy and this information should not be collected.
From Mr Roland Chua
Abu Dhabi
Be careful what you post
The Quran says that silence is peace. Why do some people share everything on social media? This information is collected somewhere and it’s being monitored. People have no idea and sometimes that information is used in the favour of others or as something that is directly harmful to them. Be careful while you post and talk about things. In short, think before you speak or do something.
From Mr Faiz Al Rahman
Dubai
Why stop now?
Our information is already brazenly used for advertisements and marketing. Why stop now? At least this is something that could potentially help people. Are these companies only now questioning their data collection ethics? Why is health any different? If anything, this type of action is at least for the greater good.
From Ms Jasmine Barns
Fujairah
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