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 […]
Slammed by COVID, Canada’s aviation industry looking to federal government for help
Faced with sharply declining revenues due to COVID-19, the Canadian aviation industry is taking a major hit. From airlines to airports and aerospace companies throughout the supply chain, all are facing challenges to their bottom line, and potentially their survival. Some targeted government relief has been announced for certain groups in the industry, but with […]
Government should be careful in using cellphone data to track COVID-19, advocates say
Privacy experts and the Conservatives are warning the federal government that if it follows the lead of other countries and begins using cellphone location data to track the spread of COVID-19, it should do so under strict limits and safeguards for Canadians’ privacy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) said on March 24 the federal […]
Here’s how AI can help, and is already helping, Canada fight COVID-19
The federal government has signed a contract with BlueDot, a Toronto-based digital health firm that was vaunted for its early identification of the COVID-19 outbreak, to track the spread of the virus, the latest tool in the artificial intelligence toolbox being deployed against the public health crisis. “The Government of Canada, through the Public Health […]
