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  • Coronavirus, check the phones in Milan. The European Privacy Board: the rules must be respected

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21 March 2020Privacy laws may be subject to derogations when it comes to fighting for public health, as is the case with what is happening in Europe with the Coronavirus pandemic.

However, the principles of proportionality and reversibility must be respected. The European Data Protection Committee, led by the Austrian Andrea Jelinek, made this clear in an EDPB note regarding the possibility of being able to control the movements of European citizens with an "app" to limit the spread of Coronavirus.

"European data protection rules - the Gdpr, General Data Protection Regulation - do not hinder the measures that are taken in the fight against the pandemic".

Andrea Jelinek, EDPB Chair: "Data protection rules do not hinder measures taken in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, but even in these exceptional times the protection of personal data must be ensured." https://t.co/98VSSzLn0Z pic.twitter.com/njy5mPPF1W

- EDPB (@EU_EDPB) March 16, 2020

A European app
To counter Covid-19, according to European sources, a common initiative is being studied in various countries, on French reminder, to spread also in Europe, an app capable of controlling the movements of people on the model of the one used, with success, in South Korea, but with greater attention to respect for privacy.

Health protection first
"The fight against infectious diseases - explains the independent body set up under the EU data protection rules - is a precious goal shared by all nations and, therefore, should be supported in the best possible way.

It is in the interest of humanity to curb the spread of diseases and use modern techniques in the fight against the scourges that affect most of the world ". In any case, however, the European Committee underlines that" even in these exceptional times " must guarantee the protection of personal data as far as possible.

"Any measure adopted in this context - continues the Committee - must respect the general principles of the law and must not be irreversible. An emergency is a legal condition that can legitimize restrictions on freedoms as long as these restrictions are proportionate and limited to the emergency period "