Slovaks to track COVID-19 patients using phone data

Slovakia's Ministry of Health has been given the right to collect data from the phones of Slovak citizens in times of emergency in order to track and prevent the spread of contagious diseases. The country's Public Health Office will be able to use this new law in order to control the current COVID-19 pandemic as it will enable it to make sure that people who test positive with the disease remain in mandatory quarantine. The government was not given access to the content of text messages. Slovakia's new minister of justice admitted the controversial nature of the law, but argued that in times of emergency, basic rights on freedom of movement and privacy have to be limited to ensure safety. The Czech government is considering an even more controversial move that would enable health officials to track who the infected person was in contact with over the previous two weeks.


Photo: Slovak government