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Big data’s looking at your meds

In a year when former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowdens revelations about the collection of U.S. phone data have sparked privacy fears, data miners have been quietly using their tools to peek into Americas medicine cabinets.

By Shannon Pettypiece, Jordan Robertson | Updated on September 11, 2014
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Sept. 11 (Bloomberg) — Dan Abate doesn’t have diabetes nor is he aware of any obvious link to the disease. Try telling that to data miners.

The 42-year-old information technology worker’s name recently showed up in a database of millions of people with “diabetes interest” sold by Acxiom Corp., one of the world’s biggest data brokers. One buyer, data reseller Exact Data, posted Abate’s name and address online, along with 100 others, under the header Sample Diabetes Mailing List. It’s just one of hundreds of medical databases up for sale to marketers.

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