‘Security’ requires full data access while ‘Privacy’ requires full data protection
No. 3: Bringing you the news that matters in video privacy and security
A note from our Editor
Hi all,
COVID-19 is still driving the agenda; privacy and security remain critical concerns as nations review options for managing contagion rates into the future while easing lockdown.
Privacy and security have historically been placed at opposite ends of the same continuum. ‘Security’ requires full data access while ‘Privacy’ requires full data protection. Although understandable this simplistic view of positions obstructs discussion around how both of these areas could be responsibly and effectively managed in parallel.
Managing public safety with surveillance tools that have data privacy safeguards built-in would help create a sustainable path forwards for the responsible usage of population-level data. A system that does not solely rely on the trust of oversight but has privacy built in as a core design feature would allow greater utilisation of available data; improving public and private enterprise decision-making. The current COVID-19 crisis is accelerating developments in this area as responsible nations are reviewing a range of approaches for contact tracing.
The UK is due to start testing the use of opt-in applications that store encrypted contact data locally on users’ smartphones without the need for a central tracking database. Other nations are reviewing whether to re-purpose more invasive cyber-intelligence tools to gather data for the same aim. With only 66% of global countries currently having any data protection legislation in place, there are likely to be a wide range of solutions deployed for the mass tracking of populations.
We are also seeing a wider rollout of thermal surveillance systems for retail stores and offices. Some of these provide a simple comparative temperature check whilst others have built-in face recognition alongside (so systems can distinguish individuals). There are issues with false positive detection and non-symptomatic contagion being missed but they could provide a useful tool for monitoring high-volume building access points. How to deploy these systems without creating COVID-19 stigma at the school or office gates is still an open question - most of us are not used to alarms going off when we enter buildings and those of us who run or cycle to work may be more prone to triggering false alarms.
Wherever you sit on the surveillance vs privacy continuum it's clear new monitoring tools are required so we can start economies moving again without having detrimental effects on the contagion rate. COVID-19 is forcing action and debate on surveillance which is accelerating the development of responsible technologies for the future. The medium-term beneficiaries are likely to be Smart City, Smart Office and Connected Home platforms which are currently grappling with the simultaneous requirements of safety, efficiency and privacy from live monitoring.
Stay safe.
Simon
News
Welcome to the Panopticon
Whether it’s on-the-ground technology like AI-powered smart glasses and thermal scanners at train stations used to identify patients with fevers in China or big data analysis of financial transactions to help trace contacts in South Korea, novel new ways of tracking people are already being born.
To protect the precarious balance of personal privacy and the public good, new frameworks for protecting privacy and data are needed, including strong safeguards against both private and state overreach.
Re-deploying cyber-intelligence tools
Surveillance-tech companies have flourished in recent years as law enforcement and spy agencies around the world have sought new methods for countering adversaries who now often communicate through encrypted mobile apps. The firms argue that their experience helping governments track shadowy networks of militants makes them uniquely qualified to uncover the silent spread of a novel disease.
Easing the lockdown with thermal surveillance
The WHO states on its guidance for detection when travelling: “Temperature screening alone may not be very effective as it may miss travellers incubating the disease or travellers concealing fever during travel, or it may yield false positive (fever of a different cause).”
One of the behavioural and psychological considerations is that use of any ‘fever detecting’ cameras could in still a false sense of security, perhaps encouraging a move to return to normality before it is due.
Another issue is the ‘hangover’ for privacy concerns. “We don’t want to see the world after COVID-19 where we end up with measures that last beyond this crisis and companies feel they have the free hand to go around taking people’s temperature all the time.”
Security tips for using Zoom
Zoom has rocketed in popularity around the world, since the start of the Coronavirus lockdown. But the video conferencing app has also been criticised for a number of privacy and security issues. Here are some top tips for making Zoom more secure and if after reading you feel the video conferencing platform isn’t for you, some recommendations for alternatives.
Policy Updates
Only 66% of countries have data protection laws
A third of all nations lack laws to protect their citizen’s online data and privacy, despite an 11 per cent uptick in the global adoption of data protection and privacy legislation since 2015, the United Nations’ trade, investment and development body (UNCTAD) said on Wednesday.
UK Information Commissioner Office COVID-19 and Data Privacy Hub
A great hub for the UK that pulls together all the latest information on personal data privacy in the context of COVID-19.
ICO
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