Facebook launches health care support groups in effort to offer users more privacy

Facebook just announced it’s creating a new type of community: health care support groups. Millions of users already take part in groups to talk about health care issues, and the new move is meant to encourage these conversations while affording users more privacy. When existing groups are designated as health support communities, users can ask the administrators to post questions on their behalf. No one else in the group will know who asked the question, but the administrators will know that person’s identity. The move is being met with mixed reviews: Some are hopeful that the new communities will offer a place to share similar experiences, but others are concerned the precautions don’t go far enough to protect users’ privacy.