US companies are hiring 'big data' organizations to track employees’ search queries, medical claims, prescriptions and even voting habits to get insight into their personal lives, it emerged this week, raising concerns about potential data leakage and discrimination.
Businesses such as Walmart favorite Castlight Health, which produces a healthcare management app for employees, are gathering up user information about their clients' employees,The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) wrote on Wednesday.
That data can be used by the employers to work out how many employees are likely to fall ill of specific diseases, apply for expensive surgery or even get pregnant, so that they can plan for the future, or even guide their employees' actions.
For example, after discovering that 30 percent of employees suffering back problems decided against spinal surgery after getting advice from top medical centers, Walmart asked Castlight to contact at-risk employees with advice and alternatives.
Castlight then contacted employees whose insurance and drug claims included back problems, painkillers and spinal injections with advice for physical therapists or second opinions, Jonathan Rende, Castlight's chief research and development officer, told the WSJ. Full story...
Related posts:
Businesses such as Walmart favorite Castlight Health, which produces a healthcare management app for employees, are gathering up user information about their clients' employees,The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) wrote on Wednesday.
That data can be used by the employers to work out how many employees are likely to fall ill of specific diseases, apply for expensive surgery or even get pregnant, so that they can plan for the future, or even guide their employees' actions.
For example, after discovering that 30 percent of employees suffering back problems decided against spinal surgery after getting advice from top medical centers, Walmart asked Castlight to contact at-risk employees with advice and alternatives.
Castlight then contacted employees whose insurance and drug claims included back problems, painkillers and spinal injections with advice for physical therapists or second opinions, Jonathan Rende, Castlight's chief research and development officer, told the WSJ. Full story...
Related posts:
- Your boss can now read your personal email, Facebook and WhatsApp messages...
- Woman fired for uninstalling app on company phone that tracked her 24 hrs a day...
- Companies track employees on- and off-duty via special software & SM...
- The whole POINT of the internet of things is so Big Brother can spy on you...
- Facebook 'tracks all visitors, breaching EU law'
- Office puts chips under staff's skin...
- Growing unease among parents, lawmakers over biometric student tracking...
No comments:
Post a Comment