After months of social distancing, the coronavirus remains a serious public health challenge. As states across the country devise plans to reopen their local economies, government agencies and private healthcare providers are hungry for reliable data.
Already, Apple and Google will now offer a contact tracing app for their smartphones, enabling data tracking across millions of devices in the U.S. At the same time, members of Trump’s administration have discussed forming a national surveillance system to monitor COVID-19 data. Just like after 9/11, we’re seeing a growth in extensive surveillance to prevent a second-outbreak and control the spread of the virus after re-opening. But as more and more personal data is collected, Americans need to consider the costs and take action to protect their data.