The UK Information Commissioners’ Office says government can use personal data from mobile phones to track/fight COVID-19.

“The UK’s privacy watchdog has said the government can legally use personal data from people’s mobile phones to track and monitor behavior if it helps fight the spread of coronavirus.”

“It emerged that the government was in talks with UK mobile phone companies to potentially use anonymous location and usage data to create movement maps, with a 12- to 24-hour delay, to discover whether the public are abiding by lockdown rules.”

“The important thing is that data protection is not a barrier to sharing data,” said an ICO spokeswoman, responding to the question of potentially nationwide mobile phone monitoring. “Public bodies may require additional collection and sharing of personal data to protect against serious threats to public health. Data protection law enables the data sharing in the public interest and provides the safeguards for data that the public would expect.”

Details from The Guardian.