Protecting Privacy in a Pandemic

Here’s the latest news:

With lockdowns lifting, businesses are scrambling to find solutions that allow them to reopen their factories, banks, offices and other workplaces while preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Many are turning to technology—from fever-detecting thermal cameras and buzzing social-distancing bracelets to corporate contact-tracing apps—to screen employees or track the virus. About 23% of companies surveyed globally are considering workplace tracking or contact tracing to transition back to on-site work, according to a recent study by consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

But as the systems access sensitive personal data like health, location or information about who employees interact with, it opens up a whole set of other potential problems for employers, especially in Europe.