Google collects health-related data of millions of Americans for its secret project

Alphabet Inc’s Google is teaming up with a health-care company on a secret project to collect personal health-related information of millions of Americans across 21 states, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Google launched “Project Nightingale” last year with St. Louis-based Ascension, according to the report, citing people familiar with the matter and internal documents. [caption id=“attachment_5348761” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”] Google launched “Project Nightingale” last year with St. Louis-based Ascension. Image: Reuters[/caption] Google and Ascension did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The data involved in Project Nightingale includes lab results, doctor diagnoses and hospitalization records, among other categories, and amounts to a complete health history, complete with patient names and dates of birth, the Journal reported. The news follows an earlier announcement from Google that it would **buy Fitbit Inc for $2.1 billion** , aiming to enter wearables segment and invest in digital health.