Social media giant, Facebook, broadens the scope of shared location data, making it accessible to Covid-19 researchers.
Facebook and Google Expand Data Sharing for Covid-19 Research
In an effort to aid health researchers in their battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, both Facebook and Google have expanded their data sharing initiatives.
Facebook Inc. is providing anonymized, aggregated location data to over 150 organizations for research purposes. This data includes information about people's movements and patterns, which can help in understanding the spread of the virus. However, Facebook assures that it will not share information about users with the researchers.
Similarly, Alphabet Inc.'s Google announced last week that it would publicly release mobility reports showing anonymized data about where people are traveling to help researchers better track the disease. Google, like Facebook, will not share information about users with the researchers.
The data provided by these tech giants can potentially help researchers understand the probability of contact between people in different areas, which is crucial in understanding the spread of the virus.
In the case of Facebook, the company is also adding new data points for researchers fighting Covid-19, including information about home-staying patterns and the probability of contact between people in different areas.
Meanwhile, Facebook Inc. is directing U.S. users to a Carnegie Mellon University survey to self-report possible Covid-19 symptoms. However, the search results do not provide specific names of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University conducting COVID-19 data analysis.
Researchers at Harvard University are using the data to measure the effectiveness of government-recommended social-distancing measures in decreasing the spread of the virus. Caroline Buckee, an associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard, states that they are unsure about the impact of social-distancing policies on the subsequent epidemiology of the disease.
The survey is intended to help health researchers monitor and forecast the spread of Covid-19. It is only available to users who are 18-years-old or older. Furthermore, neither Facebook nor Google will share individual survey responses with the researchers.
Policy makers are interested in knowing which social-distancing policies work and for how long they will need to be implemented. The survey is a significant step towards providing them with the necessary data to make informed decisions about the effectiveness of social-distancing measures.
As of now, the virus has already infected over 1.3 million people worldwide. With the help of tech companies like Facebook and Google, researchers hope to gain a better understanding of the virus's spread and the impact of social-distancing measures, ultimately leading to more effective strategies in combating the pandemic.
Google's Maps app, used by over 1 billion people worldwide, is another valuable resource in this fight. By anonymously tracking user movements, Google can provide insight into population movements and potential hotspots, aiding health authorities in their response efforts.
In conclusion, the collaboration between tech companies and health researchers is crucial in the fight against Covid-19. By sharing anonymized data, these companies are contributing to a better understanding of the virus and the effectiveness of social-distancing measures, ultimately helping policy makers make informed decisions to combat the pandemic.
