The U.S. Government Wants Your Location Data to Track Coronavirus

The U.S. government and major technology companies are meeting to discuss how location data acquired from a person’s phone can be used to help track coronavirus. According to a report in the Washington Post, this data could be used to track the spread of coronavirus and investigate whether people are adhering to the recommendations to keep at a safe distance.

The government would like companies like Facebook, Google, and others to aggregate the location data which they already access. This information would then be anonymized and shared with the government. This plan is in its early stages said anonymous sources to the Washington Post.

According to Facebook executives, Public health experts want to track how people move. The social network has provided some of this data to the government, but health officials want more information to help track coronavirus. This information could be used to monitor current outbreaks and predict where the next one will happen.

This information could “help public health officials, researchers, and scientists improve their understanding of the spread of COVID19 and transmission of the disease,” said an anonymous official at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy.

This past week White House officials met with a group of technology executives to discuss coronavirus mapping and telehealth options for patient care. The task force included executives from tech giants like Apple and Google, along with technology investors, Harvard public health officials, and representatives from telehealth startups.

In response to this report, Apple told the Washington Post that it discussed telehealth and distance learning only. It does not collect location data for iPhone users and likely would not be a part of that initiative.

Collecting location data is only one way the government is utilizing technology. Officials are urging social media sites to remove false information about coronavirus that contributes to the panicked response. It also is partnering with companies to provide additional telecommuting and distance learning opportunities for displaced workers and students now forced to learn from home.