How They Blew It: Why Two Major Cities Are Dropping Google's COVID-19 Testing Program

Gizmodo reports San Francisco and Alameda counties in California have stopped using Verily to test for the novel coronavirus.

Google's health-centered sister company launched a $55 million pilot COVID-19 testing program earlier this year to set up mobile and stationary test sites.

However, Verily’s services weren’t geared towards filling the needs of communities especially vulnerable to the pandemic.

Specifically, the services put people of color, those with low income, and the homeless at a disadvantage for using Verily's site and accessing test results.

Another complaint was that Verily reserves the right to use collected data for 'commercial product research and development.'

While Verily says strict privacy controls are in place, critics say the system may still violate federal health data privacy laws.