It’s that time of year again for health insurance enrollment — and, in my case, a nasty cold. So it’s fitting that Silicon Valley chose this past week to announce big plans for collecting Americans’ health data. (While you’re at it, Siri, bring me some Kleenex.) Here’s what else you need to know about the top stories in business and tech.
What’s Up? (Nov. 10-16)
Google Wants Your Health Records …
The tech giant is working with the country’s second-largest health care system, Ascension, to store medical records for millions of patients — including information like lab results, diagnoses and that time you had that weird rash. Called “Project Nightingale,” the initiative will be used to create software that helps medical providers to analyze, treat and even predict their patients’ conditions. Which is all well and good, but some critics are worried about patient privacy. Speaking of sensitive personal information floating around in the cloud, Google is also joining forces with Citigroup to offer checking accounts as soon as next year. Just think: Soon your email, calendar, cholesterol levels and money all could be in one place.
… And Apple Does, Too
Apple is also harvesting Americans’ health data, but in a very different way. The company is teaming up with Harvard to conduct a huge study of women’s health using information gathered from iPhones and wearables like the Apple watch. The program’s latest goal is to recruit over a million women to download an app that allows researchers to monitor their menstrual cycles, fertility, heart rate and other health patterns for over a decade. (Participants can choose which types of data they share and opt out whenever they want.) Predictably, there are concerns about personal information falling into the wrong hands, despite Apple’s assurances that the technology was designed to meet federal standards for safeguarding health records.
Uber Backpedals, but Not Fast Enough
The chief executive of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, put his foot in his mouth last week when he called the murder of Jamal Khashoggi a “mistake” by the Saudi Arabian government. In the same breath, he compared Mr. Khashoggi’s killing to the accidental death of a woman hit by one of Uber’s self-driving cars. He made both statements while defending his board’s decision to accept major investments from the Saudi kingdom, and quickly apologized for his gaffe. But the incident emphasized the sticky situation that Saudi money puts Uber in. The company’s problems continued in New Jersey, where it was fined $649 million by the state for misclassifying drivers as independent contractors instead of employees — a hot debate in the gig economy.
What’s Next? (Nov. 17-23)
Gunmakers on Notice
The gun industry may soon be held accountable for certain crimes committed with its weapons. The Supreme Court cleared the way on Tuesday for families of victims in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School to proceed with suing Remington, which made the AR-15 rifle used by the gunman. Previous rulings says firearm manufacturers aren’t liable for how their weapons are used, but this lawsuit already has gunmakers nervous. The parent company of Smith & Wesson is spinning off its firearms unit to insulate its broader business from the gun industry’s mounting problems. And after another school shooting on Thursday in California, a congresswoman introduced a bill that would require banks to identify and report suspicious financial activity related to firearms.
Debating Warren’s Wealth Tax
Expect much ado about Senator Elizabeth Warren’s proposed wealth tax when 10 of the remaining Democratic presidential candidates take the stage in Atlanta this Wednesday for their fifth debate. Ms. Warren says that her plan to increase taxes for wealthy Americans and businesses would pay for her Medicare for all initiative, universal child care and student loan forgiveness, among other campaign promises. But her ideas are under increased scrutiny — and in some cases, criticism — as she pulls ahead of her Democratic rivals in some polls. A recent analysis by the Penn Wharton Budget Model claims that her tax proposal would squeeze the economy and reduce growth. But other economists say those findings were based on erroneous assumptions.
No Whistling Allowed
YouTube, Facebook and Instagram are trying — and failing — to block people from circulating speculation about the identity of the whistle-blower who set off the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. The companies have said that naming the whistle-blower would violate their policies against outing a “witness, informant or activist.” But users don’t seem to care, and the platforms are playing Whac-a-Mole as names keep popping up. Notably, Twitter has made no effort to stymie the same discussion, which allowed Donald Trump Jr. to tweet a name to his four million followers. The whole mess raises yet more concerns about the role of social media in policing the lines between free speech, misinformation and protection of private citizens.
What Else?
Facebook has introduced Facebook Pay, a system that allows users across its platforms, including WhatsApp and Instagram, to buy things without leaving the app. (For those with a an Instagram shopping problem — ahem — this could get dangerous.) In Mexico, hackers have seized control of computer systems at Pemex, the state-owned oil company, and are demanding a $5 million ransom in bitcoin by Nov. 20. Meanwhile, lawyers from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate are planning to set up a “claims resolution program” that would pay restitution to the dozens of women who say he sexually abused them.
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November 17, 2019 at 07:00PM
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The Week in Business: Google Is Coming for Your Health Records - The New York Times
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