Technology companies have a better view of your health than you might think

It’s a grudgingly accepted fact of life among many that specific personal data and more general meta data about nearly everyone is stored online, possibly accessible to people, corporations and governments willing to look for it.

According to the hosts of NPR’s Invisibilia podcast, much of our health data is also floating around in the ether. Doctors’ appointments scheduled online, steps and sleep tracked by wearable devices, products purchased at pharmacies using store loyalty discount cards—taken together, these form a picture of the health of an individual and a population, according to NPR. And it’s not as regulated by HIPPA as it might seem.

Hospitals, doctors and even mobile apps can’t share personal health data. But collectively, the information could be very valuable.

Check out NPR to see their discussion with a law professor about what this all means.