---
title: "Google secret project gathers health data of millions of Americans-WSJ"
description: "Nov 11 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google is teaming up with a health-care company on a secret project to collect personal health-related information of millions of Americans across 21 states, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-11-11-google-secret-project-gathers-health-data-of-millions-of-americans-wsj/"
published: "2019-11-11T21:38:01"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 109
---

# Google secret project gathers health data of millions of Americans-WSJ

> Nov 11 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google is teaming up with a health-care company on a secret project to collect personal health-related information of millions of Americans across 21 states, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

By Reuters · Published 11 November 2019, 23:38 SAST

## Content

Google launched "Project Nightingale" last year with St. Louis-based Ascension, according to the report, citing people familiar with the matter and internal documents. (https://on.wsj.com/2q3WCer)

Google and Ascension did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The data involved in Project Nightingale includes lab results, doctor diagnoses and hospitalization records, among other categories, and amounts to a complete health history, complete with patient names and dates of birth, the Journal reported.

The news follows an earlier announcement from Google that it would buy Fitbit Inc for $2.1 billion, aiming to enter wearables segment and invest in digital health. (Reporting by Ambhini Aishwarya in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)