Google Is Gathering Health Data on Millions of Americans. Google is working in conjunction with Ascension to collect the health data. The secret project is called "Project Nightingale.". Ascension is the second-largest health system in the country. Company employees have questioned the ethics of Project Nightingale. The data culled as a result of the project includes patient's names, date of birth, lab results, hospitalization records and diagnoses from doctors. While more than 150 Google employees have had access to the personal health data, doctors and patients have not been informed of the project. Project Nightingale is likely legal due to a federal law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The law allows the sharing of patient data without patient permission if the data is used “only to help the covered entity carry out its health care functions.”. A spokeswoman for Google says the project is compliant with federal law and protects patient data
