Mark Zuckerberg suggests that Facebook user data could help fight the pandemic.
Mark Zuckerberg, owner of the Facebook social media platform, said in an opinion piece in The Washington Post that the survey that aggregates information from US users about the new coronavirus represents a "superpower" in the hands of humanity, and will be expanded to the rest of the world, something that should happen on Wednesday (22).
Sputnik News The information collected from US users already reveals parallels with official tracking data, which is why Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook billionaire, wants it to be used by governments.
Mark Zuckerberg, owner of the Facebook social media platform, said In an opinion piece in The Washington Post, the survey that aggregates information from US users about the new coronavirus represents... a "superpower" in the hands of humanity, and will be expanded to the rest of the world, something that should happen on Wednesday (22).
The information gathered in the research "will put us on the path to recovery" from the socioeconomic impact of SARS-CoV-2, the billionaire emphasized. Carnegie Mellon University, USA, which collaborated in creating the tool, revealed that the survey would only be expanded "if the results proved useful."
The online tool ready The higher density of cases occurs in urban areas with high population densities, as opposed to rural regions, something that many healthcare professionals involved in treating the disease already knew.
However, the information may be incomplete, as it leaves out a large portion of elderly people due to the low representation of senior citizens on social media.
The goal is for local authorities to use the information from the survey as a basis for decisions in combating the spread of COVID-19.
"Some of these governments, frankly, are not interested in the fact that the world..." to know how many real cases might exist...or how it's spreading in their countries. Getting that data out there is very important," Zuckerberg stated, according to... quoted via The Verge.
Data processing
Although the university's tool claims not to share data with Facebook, the survey automatically marks the user who clicks on the survey as a positive case, which could lead to... close monitoring of the person in question, due to reports of potential tracking collaboration between Facebook and Washington. described in The Washington Post.
Despite everything, and even with the frequently mentioned concerns regarding the platform, the social media mogul affirms that the fight against the coronavirus "should not mean sacrificing our privacy."