Uber chief’s comments spark #BoycottUber return, Google takes heat for patient data collection, and Amazon’s digital ad power

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Good morning, PR pros:

The Wall Street Journal reported that Google had access to patient data, including names and diagnoses, without telling the patients. The handling of the data is legal under federal law, as long as Google follows HIPAA protocols.

Google promised that it would not lump this patient data in with other Google data files.

It wrote in a blog post:

Today, we’re proud to announce more details on our partnership with Ascension, one of the nation’s leading non-profit health systems, to support them with technology that helps them to deliver better care to patients across the United States. There’s been a good deal of speculation on this partnership, so we want to make sure everyone has the facts.

For organizations that use consumer data, its crucial to be upfront about what data you are collecting and how it’s being used. Otherwise, you will have to defend what might appear sneaky.

Tell us what you think under the hashtag #MorningScoop.

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