Side effects may vary: lack of evidence prompts vigilance when considering contact-tracing apps

Mother’s Day is fast approaching. If you’re like me—lucky enough to have a loving mother who lives relatively nearby—the prospect of a hug-less Mother’s Day, thanks to COVID-19, is your current gloomy reality. Evidence tells us that hugs spread COVID-19, and that seniors are particularly susceptible to the worst of the disease. So, many of […]
Don’t let privacy concerns complicate necessary data sharing to combat public health threats

Health surveillance systems are key cornerstones to protecting populations from emerging public health threats. In Canada, these systems fall under shared responsibilities between local, federal, and provincial and territorial (FPT) agencies. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) creates the common elements to manage this system within a national framework to standardize data collection and […]
With strong privacy rules, Canada and the EU could combat COVID-19 together

With the COVID-19 pandemic, we are facing an unprecedented challenge for our health-care systems, economic stability, and way of life. Technology and data have a significant role to play in combating this major crisis. Digital tools, from contact tracing and warning apps to telemedicine or symptom checkers, can really make a difference. They can, in […]
We need a smart approach to using tech in patient contact tracking during public health emergencies

Globally, the most effective way to flatten the coronavirus curve has been physical distancing. It slows the spread of the virus and ultimately leads to fewer deaths. In an ideal world, everyone would have the opportunity to practice physical distancing as prescribed by public health officials. Unfortunately, for many people, doing so can be challenging, […]
Feds haven’t consulted privacy commissioner on contact-tracing app details

Despite the first Canadian contact-tracing app, ABTraceTogether, launching in Alberta on May 1 and being downloaded by tens of thousands of residents, federal Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien’s office has not yet been contacted by the federal government on “the details of contacting tracing.” “We have had discussions with a number of federal departments and with […]
Protecting the core of Canadian values in the digital realm

COVID-19 has forced a digital transformation, with offices sitting empty, the entire non-essential workforce (that can do so) working remotely, and students furthering their education at kitchen tables around the country. Data is also being used by governments to conduct “contact” tracing, though this means different things in different countries. Some states are looking for […]
The scramble for PPE: ‘This country has never seen procurement like it is occurring now’

From face masks, to medical gowns, testing kits, ventilators, and beyond, the federal government has been working to secure millions of pieces of medical and personal protective equipment needed in the fight against COVID-19 in a massive, cross-ministry and -jurisdictional collaborative effort that’s been described as “unprecedented” and “24/7” for those involved. “Since the Second […]
Not all apps are created equal: privacy and ethics should impact design, adoption of contact tracing tools

As governments world-wide contemplate COVID-19 “return-to-normal” strategies, contact-tracing apps have become part of the conversation. Tracing and notification of those who have had contact with an infected person is a major public health role in a pandemic. Contact-tracing apps are meant to supplement often-overwhelmed public health agencies. In Canada, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has announced […]
Don’t be so quick to sign away privacy rights in the face of the pandemic

In a recent Washington Post op-ed, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared data is “a new superpower” to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically “the ability to gather and share data for good.” Zuckerberg and other tech giants are offering their services to track the pandemic’s progression using social media data and trace the contacts of infected […]
Canadians shouldn’t have to give up privacy rights to prevent the spread of COVID-19

As governments around the world look for strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19, there have been increasing questions about how Canada will do the same. One common acknowledgement is that in order to lift mass isolation measures while containing the spread of the virus, jurisdictions must have robust systems for testing and rapid contact […]