U.S. Senator wants legislation to regulate COVID-19

Apple and Google will officially launch the COVID-19 close contact tracking service based on Bluetooth information exchange, recording and notification in mid-May. However, on Thursday, US Senators Roger Wicker, John Thune, Jerry Moran. And Marsha Blackburn made new proposals to legislate the privacy practices of this technology.

Several lawmakers said in a joint statement that the “COVID-19 Consumer Data Protection Act” aims to protect people’s rights and interests during the New Corona Virus pandemic.

Although not further specified, the bill may apply to the close contact tracking service framework for COVID-19 announced by Apple and Google in April.

First, before using data to track the spread of the new coronavirus and allow users to log out at any time, companies must obtain explicit consumer approval.

Second, companies must be forced to let users clearly know whether their data is being used. Which may be stored for as long as possible, and which third parties will be shared with.

Finally, when it is no longer needed, companies must delete relevant data or anonymously desensitize.

Obviously, most of these requirements are already included in the Apple-Google API. The two technology giants promised to store anonymous data in a decentralized manner. Developers are required to comply with strict tracking restrictions and clear them when they are not needed.

However, some of these protection measures have conflicted with the official version of the COVID-19 close contact tracking program in countries such as Britain and France. Because the government wants to store information in a database system. But the German government has changed this idea.

Finally, when it is no longer needed, companies must delete relevant data or anonymously desensitize.