Health on Google in pandemic times
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i10.19087Keywords:
Blogs; Platforms; Health; Algorithmic governmentality; Internet; Telemedicine; COVID-19; Pandemic.Abstract
The pandemic of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) reflected on the need to adapt as a society to new habits. Social distancing accelerated the use of technologies and mediation of activities across platforms. The essay aims to investigate if the technological mediations regarding health have increased due to the social distancing and which movements in health issues Google is reportedly taking during the COVID-19 pandemic period. It starts from the narrative space of the Big Tech itself: the Google Blog. The company has been strengthening its connections with international organizations during the pandemic, making changes to offer telehealth, community mobility, and contact tracing. It has been answering to the increase on health demands with the improvement of its products and testing new ones, occupying spaces, and building power relations with its users. Even though it has not directly appeared in the texts of the Blog, there are important unfoldings that can take place from the interest of Google in telemedicine, health ads, and clinical diagnoses. While all announcements in the Blog indicate tendencies and possibilities, new studies will be needed, as soon as possible, to monitor and amplify the analysis and discussions on data privacy and digital safety in the health area (especially regarding the relation patient-professional), and on the platformization of diagnoses and health professionals.
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Copyright (c) 2021 Liara Saldanha Brites; Maura Jeisper Fernandes Vieira; Luiz Felipe Zago; Cristianne Maria Famer Rocha
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