Comment on Call for common EU approach to apps and data to fight COVID-19 and protect citizens’ rights

Natasha Lomas, TechCrunch
Wed, 04/08/2020 - 6:28am

Call for common EU approach to apps and data to fight COVID-19 and protect citizens’ rights

The European Commission has responded to the regional scramble for apps and data to help tackle the coronavirus crisis by calling for a common EU approach to boost the effectiveness of digital interventions and ensure key rights and freedoms are respected. The European Union’s executive body wants to ensure Member States’ individual efforts to use data and tech tools to combat COVID-19 are aligned and can interoperate across borders — and therefore be more effective, given the virus does not respect national borders. Current efforts by governments across the EU to combat the virus are being hampered by the fragmentation of approaches, it warns. At the same time its recommendation puts a strong focus on the need to ensure that fundamental EU rights do not get overridden in the rush to mitigate the spread of the virus — with the Commission urging public health authorities and research institutions to observe a key EU legal principle of data minimization when processing personal data for a coronavirus purpose. Specifically it writes that these bodies should apply what it calls “appropriate safeguards” — listing pseudonymization, aggregation, encryption and decentralization as examples of best practice.  The Commission’s thinking is that getting EU citizens to trust digital efforts — such as the myriad of COVID-19 contacts tracing apps now in development — will be key to their success by helping to drive uptake and usage, which means core rights like privacy take on additional significance at a moment of public health crisis. Commenting in a statement, commissioner for the EU’s internal market, Thierry Breton said: “Digital technologies, mobile applications and mobility data have enormous potential to help understand how the virus spreads and to respond effectively.

 

Comment On This Story

Welcome to Wopular!

Welcome to Wopular

Wopular is an online newspaper rack, giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.

Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular, MWB, RottenTomatoes

Subscribe to Wopular's RSS Fan Wopular on Facebook Follow Wopular on Twitter Follow Wopular on Google Plus

MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site

Movies With Butter More Movie News

More Business News

  • Adobe’s new Photoshop turns AI into a practical superpower
    Fast Company, Tuesday - 04/23/2024 - 09:00 AM

    Adobe is bringing its updated Firefly 3 model into Photoshop with a variety of new features that cater professionals and amateurs alike. At last, after two years of lagging behind other generative AI platforms, Adobe has caught up to the competition with its new Firefly 3. Not only does the new model’s photorealistic output appear radically improved but, in combination with the latest public Photoshop beta available today, it provides new and useful tools that could improve the life of pixel pushers everywhere, from amateurs to professionals.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • 3 key strategies to take you from manager back to being an individual contributor
    Fast Company, Tuesday - 04/23/2024 - 09:00 AM

    There are key strategies to help you identify when your managerial position no longer aligns with your personality or skill set. Throughout my career working in various firms on Wall Street I’ve encountered exemplary managers who prioritized team development and career advancement, as well as those who could benefit from refining their leadership approach.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • Microplastics are full of toxic chemicals that are leaching into your skin
    Fast Company, Tuesday - 04/23/2024 - 09:00 AM

    A new study found that these chemicals can easily be absorbed through our skin. As research uncovers the abundance of microplastics—in everything from Antarctic snow to our produce—we’re also learning more about how these tiny pieces of plastic harm our health. These microscopic particles can get into our bodies via water and air, and they’re not only a health risk on their own.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • 3 red flags leaders should look out for
    Fast Company, Tuesday - 04/23/2024 - 08:30 AM

    Spotting these red flags in your behavior could save your company from becoming a toxic place to work. California may become the latest place to ban round-the-clock work emails. Golden State lawmakers are considering a law that would give employees the right to ignore work communications after hours. If the law passes, California would join France, Australia, Canada, Italy, Belgium, and the Philippines in protecting professionals’ right to disconnect.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • How Black churches are supporting dementia patients and their families
    Fast Company, Tuesday - 04/23/2024 - 08:30 AM

    Alter Dementia helps churches craft dementia-friendly services aimed at providing solace to a community disproportionately affected by the disease. This piece was originally published by Capital & Main, which reports from California on economic, political, and social issues.

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
  • Business leaders are too fixated on disruption instead of meaningful change
    Fast Company, Tuesday - 04/23/2024 - 07:00 AM

    ‘People don’t care if it’s new. They care if it’s better,’ says the cofounder of the London creative agency, Without. ‘Sometimes, the route to success is simply doing something timeless really, really well.’ Flicking through the fundraising pitch for a “disruptive coffee machine” on Kickstarter recently, it struck me how the embrace of disruption has become the unshakable cliché of every ambitious business, founder, entrepreneur, and creative agency.  

    More | Talk | Read It Later | Share