Privacy rights may become next victim of killer pandemicThe coronavirus pandemic has led to the creation of apps and tracking systems using people's smartphone location as part of the effort to limit contagion. In Europe and the United States, technology firms have begun sharing "anonymized" smartphone data to better track the outbreak. These moves have prompted soul-searching by privacy activists who acknowledge the need for technology to save lives while fretting over the potential for abuse. "Many would invade our privacy, deter our free speech, and disparately burden vulnerable groups of people. One from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers determines if people have "crossed paths" with an infected person -- although it would only work if it -- for lack of a better term -- goes viral.

Source: Standard Digital March 29, 2020 01:41 UTC