Security News > 2020 > September > Govt.-Backed Contact-Tracing Apps Raise Privacy Hackles

The U.S. nonprofit, which is aimed at protecting citizens' privacy and free speech, criticized the state's lack of any privacy standards for state COVID-19 mobile tracking apps, or for contracts that California may enter to deploy such programs.

While California has not yet formally announced a program similar to ones other states already have launched that use mobile technology or apps to help people keep track of COVID-19 exposure in their local area, there are plans in the works, according to a blog post by Electronic Frontier Foundation's Hayley Tsukayama, a legislative activist.

In referencing discussions for a pilot program in California that includes a "Contact-tracing application," the legislators "Articulated concerns about the lack of privacy considerations that have accompanied those plans," Tsukyama wrote.

Other state COVID-19-notification systems already launched include North Dakota Care19, Wyoming Care19 Alert, Alabama Guidesafe, Nevada COVID Trace and Virginia Covidwise, the last of which has has gotten good reviews for privacy and security, according to the EFF. Any similar system that California decides to implement must not be done without having some very clear privacy rules, she warned, calling on Newsom "To place basic privacy guardrails on any contact-tracing program run by or with the state."

Rules regarding citizen privacy in contact-tracing apps should include a data-minimization law that ensures that the data collected only serves a public-health purpose, and a guarantee that the information not be used for any other purpose, such as for commercial use.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/govt-contact-tracing-apps-privacy/159109/