Tracking the virus

Individual data should not be used for any other purpose

One worrying aspect in the fight against the pandemic is the violation of individual privacy. While contact tracing may be necessary at the moment, it should not be normalised. The state should not routinely continue to conduct surveillance upon citizens in the post-Covid-19 era, and must restrict the release of personal information into the public domain. This is especially worrying since India doesn’t have personal data protection laws, and the proposed Act lacks any protection against government snooping.

Contact tracing is a standard procedure in tackling an epidemic. Hence, collecting travel history details is necessary. In addition, continuous location data is