Phone apps and other technology are proving to be a key way for countries to come out of coronavirus lockdown but also pose privacy and civil rights threats that could linger long after the crisis has passed, experts have warned.
Such technology has already proved central to responses to the threat from coronavirus. Almost as soon as the alarm was sounded, authorities turned to technology, initially using it to begin contact tracing, working out who had been within reach of an infected person and how the disease may have spread.
In the future, as restrictions lift and lockdowns come to an end, the use of technology may mean downloading an app that will coordinate the response and should help stem the spread of coronavirus even as people go back out into society. Suggestions have included everything from virtual immunity passports to allow people to go outside and anonymous trackers that would alert a person if they had been within the presence of another person who may have been infected with coronavirus, to more authoritarian solutions like apps that could chastise or even report their users if their location data shows them spending too much time outside.
Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
The visions proposed by technologists for countries like the UK and already adopted in some form by other places is that in the months to come, as lockdown lifts, our movements and networks could be governed by technology. Citizens will move back to something like normality, the hope is, but may sometimes be buzzed to say that their phone has been in contact with another phone that belongs to an anonymous person suspected to have Covid-19 and that they should stay indoors.
Such solutions will require access to peoples most personal data their location, their health history, and that of their friends if it is to be successful. The world could face a profound trade-off between the privacy of that data and the speed with which they are able to go back to normal and be forced to choose between the efficacy of such technology and the protection of the information it relies on.
As Covid-19 became more prevalent, and the nature of the pandemic changed, so did the nature of the data and technology that is likely to prove most useful to authorities. Instead of individual interactions, the focus has moved instead to patterns in the population, such as the tracking and enforcement of social distancing measures that attempt to slow the spread of the disease.
But perhaps the most lasting effects will come in the later phases, which are still some time away in the UK but can be previewed in other countries across the world. There, contact tracing once again comes into play as authorities attempt to stem the spread of the disease in the world once more and to enforce the more long-term rules as citizens emerge from lockdown.
It is during that time that technology could prove central in allowing people to leave their houses, by allowing authorities to track peoples movements and enforce any restrictions that are required to let them leave lockdown safely. Such technology has already been hailed as part of the reason for the success of countries like South Korea in leaving lockdown quickly and with relatively little reinfection.
In China, for instance, leaving the house after weeks of lockdown is reliant on having the right app with the right information. The apps display specific codes red, yellow or green and only those with the right colour are able to enter restaurants, get on public transport or move between different places.
But leaving lockdown could also be the time when those surveillance plans are extended into the future, leading human rights groups to warn that it could lead to a power grab from governments that could leave the world with more surveillance and less privacy than before. The solution relied on by countries with questionable human rights records, from China to Turkey, has allowed people some measure of freedom from lockdown but has also prompted fears about the kinds of data that it is gathering about its users.
The wave of surveillance were seeing is truly unprecedented, even surpassing how governments across the world responded to 9/11, said Edin Omanovic, advocacy director of Privacy International.
A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street
Photos Angela Christofilou
Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread
Angela Christofilou
An empty street in the heart of Chinatown
Angela Christofilou
People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown
Angela Christofilou
A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown
Angela Christofilou
Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance
Angela Christofilou
A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus
Angela Christofilou
Making sure I stay two-meters apart DArblay Street, Soho
Angela Christofilou
A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice
Angela Christofilou
A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden
Angela Christofilou
As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street
Angela Christofilou
A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area
Angela Christofilou
Communities have been coming together in a time of need
Angela Christofilou
A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day
Angela Christofilou
A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced
Angela Christofilou
During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown
Angela Christofilou
Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time
Angela Christofilou
Stay Safe Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures
Angela Christofilou
Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown
Angela Christofilou
There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops
Angela Christofilou
Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day
Angela Christofilou
Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up
Angela Christofilou
Empty streets around Soho
Angela Christofilou
A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home
Angela Christofilou
Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet
Angela Christofilou
Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak
Angela Christofilou
Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced
Angela Christofilou
A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road
Angela Christofilou
A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub
Angela Christofilou
A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street
Photos Angela Christofilou
Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread
Angela Christofilou
An empty street in the heart of Chinatown
Angela Christofilou
People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown
Angela Christofilou
A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown
Angela Christofilou
Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance
Angela Christofilou
A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus
Angela Christofilou
Making sure I stay two-meters apart DArblay Street, Soho
Angela Christofilou
A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice
Angela Christofilou
A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden
Angela Christofilou
As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street
Angela Christofilou
A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area
Angela Christofilou
Communities have been coming together in a time of need
Angela Christofilou
A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day
Angela Christofilou
A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced
Angela Christofilou
Follow this link:
- Report: Apple acquires French startup behind AI and computer vision technology - 9to5Mac - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- CACI Awarded $1.3 Billion Task Order to Provide Communications and Information Technology Expertise to U.S. ... - Business Wire - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- What is semi-automated offside technology and how does it work? - The Athletic - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- Can technology save us from an ecological apocalypse? - interview - CyberNews.com - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- Does LaLiga have goalline technology? What about other major leagues? - AS USA - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- Driver Assistance Technologies: NHTSA Should Take Action to Enhance Consumer Understanding of Capabilities and ... - Government Accountability Office - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- OpenAI reveals Voice Engine, but won't yet publicly release the risky AI voice-cloning technology - The Associated Press - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Nexalin Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: US$0.63 loss per share (vs US$0.30 loss in FY 2022) - Yahoo Finance - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- 'Battle for your brain': What the rise of brain-computer interface technology means for you - WBUR News - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Firsthand Technology Value Fund (NASDAQ:SVVC) Research Coverage Started at StockNews.com - Defense World - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Suzhou Anjie Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Misses Expectations - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Inside the shadowy global battle to tame the world's most dangerous technology - POLITICO Europe - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- The Technological Pivot Of History: Power In The Age Of Exponential Innovation Analysis - Eurasia Review - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- 'Women Behind the Wheel' explores the intersection of gender, culture and cars - NPR - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Shanghai Weihong Electronic Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Revenues Beat Expectations, EPS Lags - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- A Look At The Fair Value Of Powertech Technology Inc. (TWSE:6239) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Weaver Network Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: EPS Beats Expectations, Revenues Lag - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- New York City will introduce controversial AI gun detection technology amid subway crime crisis - SiliconANGLE News - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Earnings Not Telling The Story For Beijing CTJ Information Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:301153) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Vontron Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: EPS: CN0.35 (vs CN0.34 in FY 2022) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Huawei Revenue Rises as Technology Giant Commits to Growth - Technology Magazine - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Shenzhen Fortune Trend technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Beats Expectations - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- USPACE Technology Group Limited (HKG:1725) May Have Run Too Fast Too Soon With Recent 28% Price Plummet - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- NYC to test gun-detecting technology in subway system - SILive.com - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Cancer Treatment: 3D Printing and Scanning Technology - Surviving Mesothelioma - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Does Contel Technology (HKG:1912) Have A Healthy Balance Sheet? - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Oppo Find X7 series now supports 5G-Advanced technology with up to 10 Gbps downlink speed - The Indian Express - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- DCPS receives nearly $20k in grants for technology program advancements - The Owensboro Times - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Hangzhou Electronic Soul Network Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Misses Expectations - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- International Business Digital Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: CN0.07 loss per share (vs CN0.019 loss in FY ... - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Analysts Are More Bearish On Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002709) Than They Used To Be - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Daheng New Epoch Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: EPS: CN0.11 (vs CN0.16 in FY 2022) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Tesla offers U.S. customers a month's trial of its driver-assist technology - Reuters - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Slam Dunk Technology: How AI Is Revolutionizing The Game Of Basketball - Forbes - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- China Environmental Technology and Bioenergy Holdings Full Year 2023 Earnings: CN0.03 loss per share (vs CN ... - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Vuma and Huawei team up to launch industry first 50G PON ... - Light Reading - July 15th, 2023 [July 15th, 2023]
- See What Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner Look Like With Aging ... - E! NEWS - July 15th, 2023 [July 15th, 2023]
- AFRL conducts swarm technology demonstration > ONE AFRL ... - afrl.af.mil - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Shell to use new AI technology in deep sea oil exploration - Reuters - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Former Google CEO says AI at 'center' of technology competition between US and China - Fox News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Agriculture and technology combine to drive the industrys growth - Times of India - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Technology and the Skills Shortage - Financial Times - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- New License Agreement Announced for Next-Generation Base ... - BioPharm International - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Orion Governance Licenses Technology from GE to Deliver Next Generation Data Governance Solution - Yahoo Finance - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- World needs to be 'vigilant' as AI technology improves and ... - KTVZ - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- After Losing Son, Ridgefield Mother Pushes For Technology to Prevent Hot Car Deaths - NBC Connecticut - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- After last year's fan violence in Queretaro, has Fan ID technology ensured safety for Liga MX fans? - ESPN - ESPN - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Bleach: The Soul Reapers' Gigai Technology, Explained - CBR - Comic Book Resources - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Cogito Tech - Catalyzing Transformation in Global Healthcare ... - Business Standard - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Barriers to Use of Technology in Diabetes Management - Patient Care Online - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Blue technology startups presented at the inaugural Gulf Blue ... - The University of Southern Mississippi - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- CureVac files expanded patent lawsuit against Pfizer/BioNTech over ... - Reuters - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Harrison Ford defends use of de-ageing technology in new Indiana Jones film: I know that that is my face - Yahoo News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Sanwo-Olu: Nigeria needs technology to compete with likes of China - Guardian Nigeria - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Prejudice in technology, and the necessity of time: Books in brief - Nature.com - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- New technology uses ordinary sunlight to disinfect drinking water ... - Stanford University News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Incredible AI technology shows what UK cities will look like in 2050 - LADbible - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Your Firm and Your Tools - Top Technology Initiatives - CPAPracticeAdvisor.com - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Tom Hanks: I could appear in movies after death with AI technology - BBC - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Transform your career with Chief Technology Officer online course - Economic Times - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- e-Learning Jamaica Technology in Education Conference Slated for ... - Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Andrew Maynard | What's a Luddite? From Industrial Revolution to ... - TribDem.com - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- At Yale, Kaloyan Kolev used technology to create and to make ... - Yale News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- This technology could alter the entire planet. These groups want every nation to have a say. - MIT Technology Review - April 17th, 2023 [April 17th, 2023]
- The secret lives of snakes and how Georgia College uses technology to study them - 13WMAZ.com - April 8th, 2023 [April 8th, 2023]
- Technology Innovation Institute to host 2nd 'Additive Manufacturing the Future' seminar in Abu Dhabi - Devdiscourse - April 8th, 2023 [April 8th, 2023]
- Can Array Technologies Inc (ARRY) Stock Rise to the Top of Technology Sector Thursday? - InvestorsObserver - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- Here's Why We Think Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology (ETR:PFV) Might Deserve Your Attention Today - Simply Wall St - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Will WM Technology Inc (MAPS) Stay at the Top of the Technology Sector? - InvestorsObserver - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Ways in which technology can enhance the abilities of law enforcement agents to assist the community - Times of India - February 7th, 2023 [February 7th, 2023]
- Meet The Titans: Google And OpenView (Microsoft) Faceoff On Chat Technology Innovation - Forbes - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:MTSI) Stock Has Been Sliding But Fundamentals Look Strong: Is The Market Wrong? - Simply Wall St - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- WVU Dept. of Ophthalmology acquires state-of-the-art technology for simulation lab - WV News - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Executive Vice President of Technology & Operations Alok Sethi Just Sold A Bunch Of Shares In Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) - Simply Wall St - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Is Now The Time To Put Amkor Technology (NASDAQ:AMKR) On Your Watchlist? - Simply Wall St - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- There Are Reasons To Feel Uneasy About New Oriental Education & Technology Group's (NYSE:EDU) Returns On Capital - Simply Wall St - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Technology has set us on a path toward one of two dystopian scenariosbut its not too late to save democracy - Fortune - January 17th, 2023 [January 17th, 2023]
- IonQ Acquires Entangled Networks And Locks In Quantum Networking Technology Critical To Its Future Success - Forbes - January 10th, 2023 [January 10th, 2023]
- Industrialization 3.0 - How Technology, Wall Street, And The Government Can Help The US Win In A World Of Re-Industrialization - Forbes - January 10th, 2023 [January 10th, 2023]
- Connect with aspirational India through technology and work in interest of world: Anurag Thakur to NRIs - Economic Times - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]