Corona-krisen har resulterat i ett antal initiativ för mobilspårning och appar för hälsostatus. Men också försök att utöka allmän övervakning, inskränkningar av nätets frihet och begränsningar av det fria ordet.
Här följer ett antal nedslag i vad som skrivits på nätet om saken de senaste dagarna. Först ut ett gemensamt uttalande från ett antal EU-länder, på det tyska utrikesministeriets hemsida:
»In this unprecedented situation, it is legitimate that Member States adopt extraordinary measures to protect their citizens and overcome the crisis. We are however deeply concerned about the risk of violations of the principles of rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights arising from the adoption of certain emergency measures. Emergency measures should be limited to what is strictly necessary, should be proportionate and temporary in nature, subject to regular scrutiny, and respect the aforementioned principles and international law obligations. They should not restrict the freedom of expression or the freedom of the press. We need to jointly overcome this crisis and to jointly uphold our European principles and values on this path. We therefore support the European Commission initiative to monitor the emergency measures and their application to ensure the fundamental values of the Union are upheld, and invite the General Affairs Council to take up the matter when appropriate.«
• Joint statement on the principles of the rule of law in times of Covid-19 »
EU:s Data Protection Supervisor efterlyser en gemensam EU-app för smittspridning istället för att varje land inför sitt eget system:
»Several countries are developing tracking apps, but privacy advocates warn of the dangers they might pose.
The European Data Protection Supervisor says a single EU app with strong data protection built in is the best solution to the coronavirus pandemic.
”We will not be able to solve it with national tools only,” he warned.«
• Coronavirus: Call for single EU tracking app with data protection »
Ett stort antal organisationer som arbetar med medborgarrätt och digitala rättigheter ger i ett gemensamt upprop sin syn på saken. Man ställer upp åtta krav och skriver även:
»Technology can and should play an important role during this effort to save lives, such as to spread public health messages and increase access to health care. However, an increase in state digital surveillance powers, such as obtaining access to mobile phone location data, threatens privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of association, in ways that could violate rights and degrade trust in public authorities – undermining the effectiveness of any public health response. Such measures also pose a risk of discrimination and may disproportionately harm already marginalized communities.
These are extraordinary times, but human rights law still applies. Indeed, the human rights framework is designed to ensure that different rights can be carefully balanced to protect individuals and wider societies. States cannot simply disregard rights such as privacy and freedom of expression in the name of tackling a public health crisis. On the contrary, protecting human rights also promotes public health. Now more than ever, governments must rigorously ensure that any restrictions to these rights is in line with long-established human rights safeguards.«
Liknande signaler kommer från Electronic Frontier Foundation, EFF:
Xindex listar inskränkningar i pressens frihet i coronakrisens spår:
Politico skriver om hur skyddet för persondata offras i krisens spår:
»The shift has been most pronounced in Europe, home of some of the world’s strictest privacy regulations, where national governments and EU leaders have told wireless carriers to hand over huge stores of data on people’s movements to help predict the virus’ spread. Poland’s government has gone even further, ordering people who may be infected to download a smartphone app that monitors whether they are complying with quarantine orders.
The situation is far murkier and ad-hoc in the U.S., where companies such as Google, mobile data businesses and a manufacturer of internet-connected smart thermometers have used their troves of granular information to track broad patterns such as the spread of Covid-19 or the effectiveness of social distancing. State and federal agencies are also teaming up with Silicon Valley to help triage potential patients, direct users to testing clinics and dole out information about the pandemic, raising hackles among privacy advocates about what will happen to the reams of data they collect along the way.«
• Privacy agenda threatened in West’s virus fight »
Även Privacy International oroas:
»In the rush to respond to Covid-19 and its aftermath, government and companies are exploiting data with few safeguards. PI is acting to ensure that this crisis isn’t abused.«
• Fighting the Global Covid-19 Power-Grab »
Slutligen den ibland något uppskruvade siten Zerohedge:
»People who have contracted the virus and have recovered, normally develop antibodies to fight the virus, could be their golden ticket to escape regions that have strict social distancing measures and or lockdowns.
Just imagine, immunity certificates granted by governments to people who have recovered or have developed resistance to the virus could be considered special passports that will allow them to freely travel across states, countries, and or the world — while everyone else remains hunkered down in their homes or doomsday bunkers. «
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