Facebook Reportedly Mulling Healthcare Tool to Aid Users with Ailments

Facebook is the world’s number one social network with over 1.32 billion monthly active users as of June this year. But it’s more than a social media company. On January last year, Facebook introduced Graph Search, its own search engine. And, a couple of months later, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a grandiose project called Internet.org which aims to bring affordable Internet access to the remotest corners of the world.

What this means is that Facebook has matured into a technology company that goes beyond its original design. Today, Facebook is not just competing with Twitter, it has added Google to its list as well. So what is the next step? The answer could be healthcare.

According to Reuters, Facebook is planning to launch a new tool that will connect its users to support communities that are offering useful health and lifestyle tips. Sources told the media company that Facebook has already commissioned a small team to develop health-related applications that will assess people’s lifestyles.

One source said that the plan is still in the idea-gathering stage. Nevertheless, Facebook has been holding meetings with medical professionals and industry experts to talk about the project, although the company declined to comment on the report.

Facebook’s rumored foray into the healthcare business isn’t hard to comprehend. After all, Facebook already knows a lot about its users. Mark Zuckerberg’s wife also happens to be a pediatric resident at the University of California. While the concept is interesting, the obvious challenge here is privacy.