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Older and wiser? Age quiz gives your private info to drug companies

Thursday, March 26, 2009

If you surf the Internet, chances are you've come across RealAge, a quiz that assigns you a "biological age" based on 150 or so answers to questions about your lifestyle and family history. Based on your results, the popular quiz also gives advice on getting "younger" through exercise and vitamins. It's even endorsed by Oprah's favorite doctor, Mehmet Oz.

But, according to the New York Times, advice isn't the only thing RealAge is giving out: drug companies are paying the service to obtain and use your private health information for marketing purposes.

Because the quiz asks so many detailed questions about your health and background, it is hugely valuable to pharmaceutical companies hoping to market their drugs to you. The New York Times article reports that RealAge allows these companies to send you emails based on your results, using any combination of your answers to build a profile of you, including whether or not you show symptoms of a disease, regardless of any diagnosis you've received. The quiz includes questions about medications you're on, periods of depression, sexual activity, exercise level, daily calorie intake, and how happy you are in your marriage.

According to the company, more than 27 million people have taken the test. If you are one of them, or are considering signing up, remember that any information you share is fare game for marketers. The companies privacy policy informs users that it will "share" information with third-party users. In this case, the third-parties are drug companies targeting you.

To read the article in the New York Times, visit Online Age Quiz Is a Window for Drug Makers

For more information on protecting your private health information and medical records, visit Patient Privacy Rights