Can a national ID database ease the burden of Covid-19 in the Philippines? Published: 29 July 2020 Analysis The pandemic has increased calls for a national ID system to improve access to relief funds. Experts say that the proposed plan may not work and may put data security and privacy at risk. By Jasmine Shewakramani
Brazil delays privacy law, uses Covid-19 for data grab Published: 8 July 2020 Commentary Federal, state, and city governments are working with technology companies to monitor citizens during the pandemic, with no guarantee of what will happen to the data after the crisis passes. The irony is that Brazil already has a law that would protect the right to privacy – but the government is trying to delay its implementation. By Flávia Lefèvre and Joyce Souza
EU struggles to reconcile contact tracing with high privacy standards Published: 17 April 2020 Analysis As European countries turn to apps to contain the pandemic, the EU must weigh the public health emergency against its own data protection rules. Policymakers and experts on data protection and privacy in Brussels warn that tracing and monitoring technology can undermine fundamental rights. By Alexander Fanta
Lack of privacy law complicates US debate over Covid-19 tracking Published: 14 April 2020 Analysis App developers and state governments in the United States are churning out new technologies for tracking the spread of the coronavirus. In the absence of a national privacy law, experts raise concerns about surveillance and scramble to define the boundaries for data collection during the pandemic. By Gopal Ratnam