Friday, April 24, 2020


It’s for your own good! In fact, it’s so good we might just keep it forever.
Global Surveillance in the Wake of COVID-19
OneZero is tracking thirty countries around the world who are implementing surveillance programs in the wake of COVID-19:
The most common form of surveillance implemented to battle the pandemic is the use of smartphone location data, which can track population-level movement down to enforcing individual quarantines. Some governments are making apps that offer coronavirus health information, while also sharing location information with authorities for a period of time. For instance, in early March, the Iranian government released an app that it pitched as a self-diagnostic tool. While the tool's efficacy was likely low, given reports of asymptomatic carriers of the virus, the app saved location data of millions of Iranians, according to a Vice report.
One of the most alarming measures being implemented is in Argentina, where those who are caught breaking quarantine are being forced to download an app that tracks their location. In Hong Kong, those arriving in the airport are given electronic tracking bracelets that must be synced to their home location through their smartphone's GPS signal.


(Related)
Coronavirus: Israel halts police phone tracking over privacy concerns
The government had approved the use of such data for a limited time, to make sure those ordered to self-isolate were doing so.
But now an oversight group in Israel's parliament blocked an attempt to extend the emergency measures past this week.
A committee member said the harm done to privacy outweighed the benefits.
Police told the committee 203 people, some identified through phone location information, had been arrested for violating quarantine.




About time.
Google will make all advertisers prove their identities, so people can see who they are and which country they’re in
Google will soon require all advertisers to verify their identity, the company said in a blog post on Thursday. It’s making the change to prevent advertisers from misrepresenting themselves and says it should allow consumers to see who’s running ads and which country they’re located in.
Consumers have seen a proliferation of ads for products from dubious advertisers, like fake vaccines, in recent months. Fake businesses have also been an issue.




Keep learning.
Now Available — AdTech and Privacy: Managing Risk in a Complex and Evolving Digital Economy (Webinar Materials)
On Wednesday April 15, Hogan Lovells and Ankura hosted a webinar about the impact of the GDPR and CCPA on cookies and similar AdTech tracking technologies. James Denvil from Hogan Lovells’ Privacy and Cybersecurity practice by was joined senior directors from Ankura to share best practices and perspectives. We have made the webinar available on demand here and the slides can be downloaded here.




Home school tools?
24 ways young people can learn digital skills at home
Berkman Klein Center – Skills for a Digital World:If you or a young person you know is isolated in their digital world, why not use this time to understand it better? Want to take action effectively on COVID-19 safety or other societal issues? Want to get credit for the photos, music, or creative art you share? Unsure of how to best share your data with others? Need to create a resume for a job in the fall? Explore the 24 new activities the Youth and Media team created for young people! The 24 activities have already been grouped in four collections so young people can engage as deeply as they like: (1) Building and Protecting Your Online Presence, (2) Crafting a Successful Resume, (3) Sharing Your Work Online — What License to Use?, and (4) Creating the Change You Want. While we encourage young people to engage with a collection, activities can also be done individually. In addition to youth, we especially invite parents/caregivers and educators to explore them!…”



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