Lessons from the GDPR in the COVID-19 era
OMER F. RANA, José Tomás Llanos, Madeline Carr · Academia Letters · 2021
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic keeps claiming human lives and ravaging the global economy, governments, businesses and individuals have turned to digital technologies to both contain the virus and adapt to the 'new normal'.To interrupt the chain of transmission more effectively, numerous contact-tracing apps -which notify people that they have been in close proximity with COVID-19 carriers -have been rolled out globally.Restaurants, pubs and hospitality businesses have embraced a multitude of mobile apps allowing customers to book tables, place orders and make payments remotely and without human contact, in a move to protect their staff and facilitate social distancing.In response to lockdown measures, people have flocked to the Internet to work, conduct business, stay close with friends and relatives, find entertainment and more.In fact, Facebook, Amazon and YouTube have reportedly lowered the quality of video streaming in Europe to reduce the strain on Internet networks, 1 and companies like Netflix and Zoom have experienced dramatic growth. 2 In this context of expanding datafication of our health and every other aspect of our lives, the COVID-19 pandemic has stress tested not only our healthcare infrastructure but also the soundness of Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) following its entry into force about two years ago.Two important trends can be discerned from this test.First, ob-1 Mark Beech, 'COVID-19 Pushes Up Internet Use 70% And Streaming More Than 12%, First Figures Reveal' (Forbes)https://www.forbes.com/sites/markbeech/2020/03/25/covid-19-pushes-up-internet-use-70-streaming-more-than-12-first-figures-reveal/. 2 Dominic Rushe and Benjamin Lee, 'Netflix Doubles Expected Tally of New Subscribers amid Covid-19 Lockdown' (the Guardian, 21 April 2020) http:/