ICO approves use of British mobile phone tracking data to fight spread of coronavirus

Regulator okays the use of anonymised phone tracking data to help tackle the spread of COVID-19

UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has granted the government permission to use people's anonymised mobile phone tracking data in efforts to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

In a statement, the ICO's Deputy Commissioner Steve Wood said that analysis of generalised location data trend is helping agencies to fight the spread of virus, and that its use does not fall under data protection law if it is properly anonymised and aggregated.

"In these circumstances, privacy laws are not breached as long as the appropriate safeguards are in place," Wood said.

He further added that the security and safety of citizens remains the primary concern for the ICO and that it would continue to work with the government to provide advice about the application of data protection law during the coronavirus outbreak.

Last week, it had emerged that the government was considering taking the help of British mobile operators in using anonymous usage and location data of mobile users to create movement maps that would help agencies to discover whether people are following lockdown rules.

In addition to revealing the movement of people, such maps would also help the government to find out the hotspots of congregations.

Privacy advocates, however, have branded the step as extremely concerning. They warned that such measures could lead to massive surveillance of people in future.

They urged the government to put in place clear time limits on the extended powers.

Presently, it remains unknown how much personal data the British government wants to use in its efforts to tackle coronavirus spread, but it is also true that other countries, including China, Hong Kong, Israel and South Korea, have taken similar surveillance measures to varying degrees.

In these countries, infected people are required to download a smartphone app to reveal their contacts and movements to government agencies.

Spain, Slovakia, Poland and Romania are also using similar tracking apps to trace people's movement.

A report by The Washington Post last week stated that the US government was discussing with major tech firms, including Google and Facebook, as well as health experts about they could use location data from Americans' mobile phones to fight the outbreak.

As per the report, American public health experts are currently more interested in using anonymous aggregate data that could help map the spread of the virus in the country.