EPIC, Coalition Urge Governments to Respect Human Rights as They Respond to Pandemic

EPIC joined civil society groups from around the world to urge governments to respect human rights as they consider digital technologies to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The coalition warned that "efforts to contain the virus must not be used as a cover to usher in a new era of greatly expanded systems of invasive digital surveillance." The civil society groups insisted that governments not implement surveillance measures unless lawful, time-limited, only for the specific purpose of combating the pandemic, and the data collected is absolutely necessary. EPIC recently joined 131 other organizations in a public statement supporting public access to information as the U.S. responds to the coronavirus pandemic. EPIC is pursuing a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Justice seeking DOJ legal analysis about the collection of GPS and cell phone location data.