Turn Contact Tracing Apps On By Default—Europeans Shouldn’t Need To Opt In – Center for Data Innovation

As European governments start easing lockdown restrictions, developing an effective contact tracing strategy has become a top priority to prevent a new surge of COVID-19 outbreaks. A key part of this strategy will almost certainly involve mobile contact tracing apps that automatically notify users who have encountered someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Unfortunately, the European Commission’s guidance issued in April recommends that, in line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation, users “should be able to give their consent to each functionality of an app separately” and that proximity data should “only be shared with the user’s consent.” Leaving it up to individual users to choose to opt in to such an app would be a mistake—the only way this type of mobile app will reach a critical mass is if it is enabled by default.

Read the full article on IAPP. 

Daniel Castro is the director of the Center for Data Innovation and vice president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Mr. Castro writes and speaks on a variety of issues related to information technology and internet policy, including data, privacy, security, intellectual property, internet governance, e-government, and accessibility for people with disabilities. His work has been quoted and cited in numerous media outlets, including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, USA Today, Bloomberg News, and Businessweek. In 2013, Mr. Castro was named to FedScoop’s list of “Top 25 most influential people under 40 in government and tech.” In 2015, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker appointed Mr. Castro to the Commerce Data Advisory Council.

Mr. Castro previously worked as an IT analyst at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) where he audited IT security and management controls at various government agencies. He contributed to GAO reports on the state of information security at a variety of federal agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). In addition, Mr. Castro was a Visiting Scientist at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he developed virtual training simulations to provide clients with hands-on training of the latest information security tools. He has a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and an M.S. in Information Security Technology and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.