The recent round of privacy controversies at Facebook are now instigating protests from a new source: nurses.
Members of Service Employees International Union Local 1021 marked International Nurses Day May 12 by taping over the "Zuckerberg" in the sign outside Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
Using "Zuckerberg" in the hospital name scares patients, a nurse told the New York Times. Protesters carried signs saying "Zuck off" and "Uninstall Zuckerberg," while one referred to the issue as "malwareberg."
"We are in charge of keeping our most vulnerable people private and protected," Heather Ali, a nurse administrator, told the Times. "Now people wonder, 'How much is my privacy protected at a hospital with that name on it?' "
Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, in 2015 donated $75 million for the replacement hospital then under construction, and the city OK'd renaming the public hospital as part of the deal.
The nurses were especially concerned by reports that Facebook had contacted major hospitals about sharing anonymized patient data for a research project. After the election-related scandal, the hospital data project was put on hold.
The hospital says patients haven't raised any concerns. "I've spoken to both nurses and patients. Have not heard these concerns about privacy expressed at all by anyone other than those quoted in the Times piece," hospital spokesman Brent Andrews told Outliers in an email.
The nurses are undeterred. "Nobody asked us if we wanted his name. We are grateful for the money, but it should be unconditional," nurse Meg Brizzolara told the 48 Hills news site.