The New York Times is reporting today on the efforts by Google.org – the internet company’s philanthropic arm – to harness the vast data available to the company in order to track the spread of flu viruses.  Tests indicate that the web tool – Google Flu Trends – could detect outbreaks earlier than reports by the Centers for Disease Control.  The key to this apparent success?  Many Americans tend to enter phrases connected to flu and flu symptoms before seeking medical attention.   A more detailed explanation of the project and its potential will be in an upcoming issue of Nature, but for now you can hear it straight from the web giant’s mouth.

As we are moving to a new administration that has embraced online tools to acheive desired goals, it’s possible that policies encouraging new applications for online data could encourage more items like Flu Trends.  Hopefully these projects will take appropriate steps to maintain the privacy and security of this information.