COVID-19 privacy news (w/e 19th June)

19/06/2020 | COVID-19 Round-up

Here are the latest stories on how the COVID-19 outbreak has affected privacy:

12th June:

  • ICO publishes six data protection steps for businesses as they lift restrictions and begin to re-open.

15th June:

  • The Guardian reports Norway suspends centralised contact-tracing app due to privacy concerns.

16th June:

  • IAPP article defining what a 'new normal' for data privacy in the wake of COVID-19 might look like (US perspective). 
  • Chronicle of Data Protection explains how Belgium DPA has issued guidance on temperature measurements in the context of COVID-19.
  • IAPP publishes article on manual contact tracing and privacy. Building trust is a local effort.
  • European Commission announces member states have agreed upon a technical framework to allow contact-tracing apps to function across borders. 
  • Reuters, reports, however, France's centralised app may not work in cooperation with EU other apps.
  • The Brussels Times reports Belgium's contact-tracing app is being held up by efforts to meet data protection standards.

17th June:

  • Open Rights Group fear no news is bad news about the NHSX app.
  • Reuters reports Germany's privacy-focused contact-tracing app was downloaded 6.5 million times in the first 24 hours.
  • Reuters reveals that French watchdog warns against COVID-19 smart surveillance.

18th June: 

  • The Telegraph reveals UK is to drop NHS contact-tracing app for Apple-Google model.
  • The Guardian reports how UK ministers show how 'world-beating' they are following the governments' contact-tracing app U-turn.
  • The Guardian reports om the decision to switch contact-tracing app technology - piloted in May, ditched in June: the failure of England's Covid-19 app.
  • The Guardian also reports in a more sobering post mass surveillance could be here to stay.
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