GENEVA — Facebook announced new Disease Prevention Maps last week, intended to help researchers and health organizations reach the right people and predict disease outbreaks.
By training its computers to analyze publicly and commercially available satellite images and demographic data — not Facebook user data — the social media company says it has created high-resolution population density maps that are now three times more detailed than any other source.
At the same time, the company is sharing its network coverage maps and movement maps of those who have opted to allow Facebook to track their phone’s location, with new partners with whom it signs data licensing agreements. This can be used for modelling how a disease could spread and where to preposition treatments.