Privacy law does not prevent data innovation in a pandemic

Data protection law emerged in the UK out of a concern that the benefits of new technology could be lost if advances were not embraced by the population ... a way to support innovation by assuring people that checks were in place to prevent the build-up of intrusive pictures of their lives. That feels very relevant today, as we look at how contact tracing projects and location tracking could help us combat the pandemic ... ... But ... the public need to have confidence that it is being used in a fair and proportionate way. Our statement on coronavirus in March made the point that data protection laws do not get in the way of innovative use of data in a public health emergency – as long as the principles of the law (transparency, fairness and proportionality) are applied.