The Privacy watchdog in the UK, the ICO, led by Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham (pictured, above), has confirmed that the government can legally use data taken from citizen’s mobile phones to monitor and track behaviour. This change in privacy guidelines has been created to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The government started talks with UK phone companies recently to use anonymous location and usage data for the creation of movement maps with a 12-24 hour delay. The aim is to discover whether citizens are actually abiding by lockdown requirements.
Already, governments in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Israel have gone further, activating surveillance measures that use personal data, and asking infected individuals to download an app that reveals contacts and movement information.
Using Data for Citizen Protection
Other countries that have also introduced versions of tracking technology include Poland, Romania, Spain and Slovakia. Although there’s no indication that the UK government will take their tracking measures so far, there have been reports that a smartphone app is being developed.
According to an ICO spokeswoman, the important thing right now is that data protection doesn’t block access to crucial data. Public bodies might require additional access to data to protect against growing threats to public health. Laws in data protection allow for the sharing of information if it’s in the public’s best interests.
Earlier in March, the ICO announced that electronic communication laws and data protection didn’t stop NHS groups and the government from sending health messages to people via email, text or phone. However, the emergence of a potential monitoring plan has lead to privacy campaigners raising concerns. These groups believe that individuals should be told if their data is used, and that there must be provisions to reduce the risk of the activity becoming permanent.
Walking the Line Between Safety and Privacy
Not so long ago, the industry began exploring the potential of creating a global data access system for tracking individuals across the globe. This app was designed as part of a strategy to reduce the rise of coronavirus.
The aim of the network would be to identify the people who someone with the virus had connected with. What’s more, publications like the Washington Post have reported that the US government has also been in contact with Google, Facebook, and other leading companies about how location data from phones might be useful in the pandemic. Public health experts are interested in finding a way to anonymously collect data that might map the way that the virus is spreading.
In Israel, the emergency measures implemented by the government went even further, allowing authorities to track individuals that were suspected to be or confirmed to be infected. The government is also notifying the people that infected individuals come into contact with.
