Re: NHS website letting facebook track people's illnesses

Hello All, 

I have written up my issues with the tracking functionality built into the http://www.nhs.uk/ medical advice site on my blog : 

http://mmt.me.uk/blog/2010/11/21/nhs-and-tracking/

I will be pointing to this from my official complaint. 

Feedback/Comments welcomed. 

Mischa
On 19 Nov 2010, at 13:56, Graham Steel wrote:

> Have you seen "Patients like me"?
> 
> e.g.
> 
> http://www.patientslikeme.com/epilepsy/patients?s[exclude_deceased]=1&s[t]=3700
> 
> 
> On 19 November 2010 13:32, Mischa Tuffield <mischa.tuffield@garlik.com> wrote:
>> Hi All,
>> Just a note to say that I feel that there should be more transparency on
>> facebook's end to inform developers that the "social features" available to
>> them via the "Like" button, is an ad tracking tool, I have written about my
>> views on this [1] in the past.
>> The reason I am bring this up again, is because today I noticed that the
>> nhs.uk website, has facebook like buttons on their pages for illness (e..g.
>> [2]) , and I feel this is a massive breach of privacy. It is one this for
>> rottentomatoes to host this ad tracking feature, and it is something
>> completely different for the UK's national health service to do so.
>> I have tried to find the chief privacy officer for the NHS to no avail, and
>> am currently in the process of making an official complaint, sending a
>> Freedom Of Information request to the NHS asking them for minutes of the
>> meetings when this discussion was made, as well putting together a more
>> detailed blog post stating where your information gets leaked to, when you
>> use the nhs website.
>> Just thought I would let you guys know, and would ask what your opinions are
>> to me doing this?
>> Mischa
>> [1] http://mmt.me.uk/blog/2010/07/30/the-facebook-like-button/
>> [2] http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/sexualhealth/pages/abortionyouroptions.aspx
>> ___________________________________
>> Mischa Tuffield PhD
>> Email: mischa.tuffield@garlik.com
>> Homepage - http://mmt.me.uk/
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> 
> 
> 
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> http://www.lsv.ens-cachan.fr/~steel/
> 
> 

___________________________________
Mischa Tuffield PhD
Email: mischa.tuffield@garlik.com
Homepage - http://mmt.me.uk/
Garlik Limited, 1-3 Halford Road, Richmond, TW10 6AW
+44(0)845 652 2824  http://www.garlik.com/
Registered in England and Wales 535 7233 VAT # 849 0517 11
Registered office: Thames House, Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AD