“if Google knows I’m sick before I do, is it ethically obligated to tell me? And if so—how does it tell me?”

This quote is from an article written by Mark Wilson called, “The UX Of Ethics: Should Google Tell You If You Have Cancer?”

My immediate response to that question is another question: Why and how does Google know I’m sick? The question forces us to face an uncomfortable truth that Google knows more about us and our thoughts, habits, lifestyles, desires, fears, etc. than we would ever want them to. And not only do they know it, but once they have the data, it is theirs to keep as long as they like. We generally tend to only think of data collection in the simple terms of what we search for and how often we visit sites, but the advances in technology and the always-on lifestyles we now lead lend to much more in-depth analysis. Wilson gives examples like, “Apple could measure if my finger taps were slower in iOS to flag a sudden cognitive decline. An accelerometer in an Android phone could easily track a sudden shift in my gate.”

To me, this is a level of intimacy that I would never desire to have with a massive company like Google. I do not necessarily think Google wishes me harm, but I do not trust them in any way whatsoever. Their agenda, their interests, and their narrative of what is or is not acceptable to do in the modern world almost invariably does not align with my own. That being said, I cannot speak for all people. In Wilson’s article, the general consensus from ethicists and doctors was, “Google, along with Facebook, Apple, and their peers, should offer consumers the chance to opt-in to medical alerts.” But knowing Google, this will more likely come in the form of having the option to opt-out. Having learned earlier in the semester about the power of defaults, I see this as another opportunity for Google to enlarge their portfolio on each individual user. Just think of the power of a search engine that simultaneously knows your health status and is paid millions in advertising dollars by pharmaceutical companies. I can see it now, “We’ve noticed you’ve been feeling depressed recently. We would like to recommend talking to your doctor about a subscription for Prozac. Using the link provided will give you a 6 month free trial.” Regardless of the benevolent perception Google wishes to maintain, they are ultimately a for-profit company that is continuously seeking ways to expand their reach and revenue.

Another important point the article brings up is that of the ever-increasing ability of artificial intelligence (AI), “As our lives grow more and more automated by the cloud, systems will be making all sorts of decisions on our behalf—sometimes out of safety, and sometimes just out of convenience. Understanding how these systems are thinking and acting on our behalf is crucial to trusting them.” Imagine that your phone has been tracking your gate, how often you run, your varying speed, etc., and one day you get a notification telling you not to go for a run because you have a high risk of getting a knee injury based on the data they’ve collected. Another example would be going to McDonald’s. Based on Google’s access to your credit card information and purchase history, you receive a notification telling you that you should not eat McDonald’s because you’ve had too much sugar recently and you’re close to getting adult-onset diabetes.

Some may praise the gods of technology at this thought, realizing we’ve finally come to the point that we no longer have to think for ourselves, consciously maintain healthy lifestyles, and can focus on the important things like having fun and not being too stressed about anything at all. For me, this sounds like the beginnings of a dystopian future similar to that depicted in the book, “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley.

Oblivious to (or more likely in spite of) my feelings on this matter (which I suspect are shared by many thinking individuals), Google will continue to charge ahead in whatever way they can. I am both nervous and excited about where technology will take us in the coming decades. Needless to say, it will be interesting.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3058943/the-ux-of-ethics-should-google-tell-you-if-you-have-cancer