Today it’s the flu, tomorrow it’s much more than that. While I agree that this “service” sounds beneficial and it will definitely help health officials stay ahead of the curve where flu treatment is concerned, I am also worried about the eagerness by Google to hand over search information to the government.

As I type this, I’m coughing and wheezing from my first real cold of the season. This will continue, on and off, for the next four months or so. And then I’ll get well, and then allergy season will be here.

Google recently launched an interesting microsite that lets interested parties track flu outbreaks from week to week and state to state. Google Flu Trends shows overall prevalence of flu compared to past years, and also offers a helpful map of the U.S. that breaks down outbreaks geographically. If I just moved one state over to Nevada, maybe I wouldn’t be coughing up a lung.

Exactly how much does the government need to know? It’s only a matter of time before they justify handing over more information on a variety of topics, all in the name of making the world a better place.

I’m still not sure how reliable this will be either, you might have better luck taking your money to vegas than trusting the information people search for.

The question is, once we allow the government to cross that line, can we ever make them cross back?

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