Covid-19: EDPB set to clarify health and geolocation data processing

The head of the European Data Protection Board has told GDR that the organisation will soon publish guidance on two key uses of personal data to fight the covid-19 pandemic.

The EPDB will issue separate sets of guidance on the use of health data for scientific research and the use of location data and other tracing tools next week. 

Chair Andrea Jelinek told GDR today that the board will hold two extra plenary sessions to discuss the issues and adopt guidance. A session on the use of health data for scientific research will be held on 17 April, with the location data and tracing tools session taking place next week. 

Jelinek said it is likely that the guidance on the use of health data for scientific research would be adopted by the group tomorrow and released on Monday. She added that the guidance on location data will “hopefully” be adopted and released next week. “I can’t promise that it will be next week but it looks like it.” 

Jelinek told GDR that the EDPB has been developing guidance on the use of data in the covid-19 response off its “own initiative” and that they have “really sped things up”, having already had a plenary meeting this week adopting guidance on the use of apps in supporting the covid-19 response. 

Regulators around the world have rapidly reacted to coronavirus-related data processing, amid an increase in private- and public-sector data sharing.