Council of Europe AI and Law Breakfasts session 5 - Myths and realities of tracking applications

Three experts were brought together on the theme of tracking applications on mobile phones in the fight against COVID-19. Michael Veale, Lecturer at University College London, Dino Pedreschi, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Pisa and Adrien Basdevant, a data protection lawyer, discussed the myths and realities of these applications.

The experts discussed the tensions between the risks of mass surveillance and the collective commitment to fight the disease, and proposing concrete solutions. In particular, Michael Veale presented the DP-3T system as being totally protective of privacy. A manifesto was also published by researchers, including Dino Pedreschi, under the title "Giving citizens more data, awareness and control, and they will help contain COVID-19". Finally, Adrien Basdevant published a paper entitled "Covid-19: A New Age of Individual Control".