Google accused of breaking NHS privacy law

The UK’s Information Commission (ICO) says that sharing data with Google has stopped a UK hospital from protecting the privacy of patients.

The ICO expressed severe disapproval to the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust over the way data was used through Google’s DeepMind app, in a trial to help diagnose and detect an acute kidney injury.

The BBC says that over 1.6 million patients were handed to Google’s DeepMind division during the medical trial.

Not enough patients were warned about the way their data was being used, according to the ICO.

“Attempts to make creative use of data has to be carefully managed,” said Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, in a statement. “The price of innovation does not need to be the erosion of fundamental privacy rights,” she added.

Google is yet to comment on ICO’s findings.

Written by Leah Alger

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