Data protection authorities from around the world are stepping in to provide their input and guidance on the matter of data processing activities and the fight against the coronavirus.  Hogan Lovells’ global Privacy and Cybersecurity team has compiled the guidance from various European authorities, which is available here.

The different emphasis among the data protection authorities’ views – which can be categorized as restrictive, neutral or permissible – suggests that the right approach must lie in finding a balanced middle ground which does not ignore the application of essential privacy principles.  This is also in line with the statement published by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) on March 16 highlighting that data protection rules (such as GDPR) do not hinder measures taken in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.