Google Is Gathering Health br Data on Millions of Americans.br Google is working in br conjunction with Ascension to br collect the health data. The secret br project is called "Project Nightingale.".br Ascension is the second-largest br health system in the country. br Company employees have questioned br the ethics of Project Nightingale.br The data culled as a result of the br project includes patient's names, date br of birth, lab results, hospitalization br records and diagnoses from doctors.br While more than 150 Google br employees have had access to the br personal health data, doctors and patients br have not been informed of the project.br Project Nightingale is likely br legal due to a federal law, the br Health Insurance Portability br and Accountability Act of 1996.br The law allows the sharing of patient br data without patient permission if the br data is used “only to help the covered br entity carry out its health care functions.”.