This page contains a select list of data protection and privacy resources related to the COVID-19 epidemic. It will be updated regularly as the landscape around data protection and privacy and COVID-19 continues to evolve.
UN Resources on Privacy, COVID-19 and the Right to Health
- UN Secretary-General report on “COVID-19 and Human Rights: We are all in this together” (April 2020), (p. 15-6)
- Statements by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, on COVID-19 and human rights (6 March 2020 and 9 April 2020):
- Statement of the group of the UN Special Rapporteurs, “COVID-19: States should not abuse emergency measures to suppress human rights” (16 March 2020)
- Special Rapporteur on the right to Privacy, “Preliminary evaluation of the privacy dimensions of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic: report” (27 July 2020)
- Policy statement on data sharing by WHO in the context of public health emergencies (13 April 2016)
- International Health Regulations (2005), Art. 45 relating to the Treatment of Personal Data
- WHO interim guidance “Ethical considerations to guide the use of digital proximity tracking technologies for COVID-19 contact tracing” (28 May 2020)
- UNICEF expert perspective “COVID-19 and children’s digital privacy” (April 2020)
- UNICEF report “Digital contact tracing and surveillance during COVID-19” (June 2020)
- UNICEF report, “Children’s rights and digital business during COVID-19 and beyond” (July 2020)
- UNICEF issue brief, “COVID-19: A spotlight on child data governance gaps” (August 2020)
- UN Women brief “Violence against women and girls data collection during COVID-19” and accompanying decision tree (April 2020)
- UNDP guidance “Guidance to UNDP Country Offices on privacy, data protection, and digital technologies” (June 2020)
- IOM, “COVID-19 Analytical Snapshots” (May 2020), #36
- Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Sub-Group on Data Responsibility (co-led by the OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data, IOM, and UNHCR) FAQ on Data Responsibility in the COVID-19 Response
- ICRC & UN OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data, Tip Sheet on Responsible use of Online Conferencing Tools (6 April 2020)
- UN/DESA Policy Brief #61: “COVID-19: Embracing digital government during the pandemic and beyond” (14 April 2020)
- UN/DESA Policy Brief #89: “Strengthening Data Governance for Effective Use of Open Data and Big Data Analytics for Combating COVID-19” (21 December 2020)
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Art. 12 on the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health
- CESCR General Comment No. 14: The Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health (Art. 12)
- Human Rights Committee, “Statement on derogations from the Covenant in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic” (30 April 2020)
International/Regional/Industry Initiatives to address privacy and data use for COVID-19
- Global Privacy Assembly (Data Protection Regulators):
- Statement by the GPA Secretariat on the COVID-19 pandemic (2020)
- GPA Resolution on the Privacy and Data Protection Challenges Arising in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
- Compendium of Best Practices in Response to COVID-19 (2020)
- GPA Resolution on the Role of Personal Data Protection in International Development Aid, International Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management (2020)
- GPA Resolution on Privacy and International Humanitarian Action (2015)
- GPA COVID-19 Resources Library: latest guidance and information from Global Privacy Assembly members and observers on data protection and COVID-19
- OECD survey on the science and innovation policy responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- The Council of Europe:
- Joint Statement on the right to data protection in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (30 March 2020)
- Joint Statement on Digital Contact Tracing (28 April 2020)
- Report “Digital solutions to fight COVID-19” (12 October 2020)
- Artificial intelligence and the control of COVID-19 website resources
- The EU Commission:
- EU data strategy with a set of recommendations on how the EU should approach sharing of proprietary data for public good, including humanitarian emergencies: Experts say privately held data available in the European Union should be used better and more & Shaping Europe’s digital future
- EU Commission Recommendation on a common Union toolbox for the use of technology and data to combat and exit from the COVID-19 crisis, in particular concerning mobile applications and the use of anonymised mobility data (8 April 2020), complemented by the EU Commission Guidance on the development of such apps in relation to data protection
- EDPS comments to the EU Commission on using data to monitor COVID-19 (25 March 2020)
- EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, “Coronavirus Pandemic in the EU – Fundamental Rights Implications” (Feb/March 2020)
- The GSMA COVID-19 Privacy Guidelines (6 April 2020)
- Principles of Responsible Investment, “Theme 3: COVID-19, privacy rights and cyber security risks” (7 September 2020)
Civil society initiatives to address privacy and data use for COVID-19
- Join Civil Society Statement, “States use of digital surveillance technologies to fight pandemic must respect human rights” (2 April 2020)
- Human Rights Watch, “Human Rights Dimensions of COVID-19 Response” (19 March 2020)
- Human Rights Watch, “Mobile Location Data and Covid-19: Q&A” (13 May 2020)
- Access Now, “Recommendations on Privacy and Data Protection in the Fight against COVID-19” (March 2020)
- IEEE, “Statement Regarding the Ethical Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Systems (AIS) for Addressing the COVID-19 Pandemic” (17 April 2020)
- Christopher Kuner, “Data Sharing and Protection at times of Coronavirus” (15 April 2020)
- European Academy for Freedom of Information and Data Protection, Appeal to fight the pandemic and protect civil rights and data protection (26 March 2020)
- Ada Lovelace Institute, “Exit through the App Store?, A rapid evidence review on the technical considerations and societal implications of using technology to transition from the COVID-19 crisis” (20 April 2020)
- EDRI, call for fundamental rights-based responses to COVID-19 (20 March 2020)
- CCC, “10 requirements for the evaluation of Contact Tracing apps” (6 April 2020)
- ACLU, “Principles for Technology-Assisted-Contact-Tracing” (16 April 2020)
- Privacy International, ““Anytime and anywhere”: Vaccination, immunity certificates, and the permanent pandemic” (17 December 2020)
Data practices to address COVID-19
UN Global Pulse wishes to thank the members of the UN Privacy Policy Group and of the Expert Group on the Governance of Data and AI for their contribution to this resources list. To bring our attention to any additional relevant resources, please email us at: dataprivacy@unglobalpulse.org.
