key: cord-272494-du3y82pq
authors: Abbas, Abdul-Rahman; Alsafi, Zaid; Rahman, Adil; Syed, Sabeeh
title: Today's actions shape tomorrow's world: is the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) eroding our privacy?
date: 2020-05-12
journal: Int J Surg
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.05.021
sha: 
doc_id: 272494
cord_uid: du3y82pq

nan

In China, South Korea and Taiwan, cell phones are used to track individuals with suspected COVID-19 infections without their consent, a measure that they believe allowed them to "flatten the curve". 2 Europe and the United States (US) have taken a slightly different approach; European governments are using allegedly anonymised mobile data to trace individuals' movements while the US are using similar data streams obtained from advertising firms to trace the presence of large congregations. 3 Technological titans Apple and Google are also collaborating to develop an "opt-in" platform to trace the contacts of COVID-19 patients. 4 However, historical mismanagement of data by such companies has previously resulted in European-Union-sanctioned fines. 5 Therefore, transparency around the type of data collected and its intended use are necessary to ensure personal liberties are not abused under the guise of the pandemic.

In the midst of the crisis, the focus has rightly been to alleviate the effects of COVID-19 on our healthcare systems and the general population. In doing so however, we find ourselves in a timeless debate over safety and privacy. Our personal data can be used, potentially, to mitigate the devastating effects of COVID-19; illustrated by the slower spread in countries adopting the aforementioned tracking strategies. However, by 'handing' over our data, we are entrusting governments and private enterprises to uphold our liberty. This can set a dangerous precedence, albeit in the view of saving lives. Perhaps, in the words of Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

In the interval between the announcement of innovative tools and their expeditious adoption, a question must be considered: after the dust settles, what kind of world do we want to emerge into?

Provenance and peer review Not Commissioned, internally reviewed

World Health Organization declares global emergency: A review of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

South Korea Tracks Virus Patients' Travels-and Publishes Them Online 2020

Europe Turn to Phone-Tracking Strategies to Slow Spread of Coronavirus

Apple and Google partner on COVID-19 contact tracing technology

Google hit with £44m GDPR fine over ads

The data in this review is not sensitive in nature and is accessible in the public domain