Facebook draws user data to help scientists anticipate coronavirus spread
Facebook on Monday said it is providing anonymous
data about users' movements and relationships to help researchers better
anticipate where the coronavirus might spread.
The
leading online social network is augmenting maps on "population
movement" with tools to glean insights in ways that still protect people's
privacy, according to a post by the Facebook head
of health KX Jin and Laura McGorman of its Data for Good arm.
"Hospitals
are working to get the right resources, and public health systems are looking
to put the right guidelines in place," Jin and McGorman said.
"To
do that, they need better information on whether preventive measures are
working and how the virus may spread."
Google
last week announced a similar move, saying it would provide a snapshot of
users' location data around the world to help governments gauge the
effectiveness of social distancing measures, implemented to stem the Covid-19
pandemic.
Tools
that Facebook is providing for researchers include
"co-location maps" to show probabilities of people in one specific
place coming into contact with those in another, perhaps signaling where new
Covid-19 cases might appear.
Data
about "movement range" trends will show whether people are staying
close to home as advised or venturing to other parts of town, potentially
exacerbating coronavirus spread.
Facebook
is also providing an index of friendships crossing state or national borders to
allow epidemiologists to forecast how the virus might spread given where people
might seek support or sanctuary.
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