Dan Cooper and Dora Pap of Covington & Burling write: On March 10, 2020, the Hungarian National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (“NAIH”) issued guidance on data protection and COVID-19. The NAIH highlights that controllers processing personal data in the context of their efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 must comply with the…
Category: Healthcare
Privacy of suspected COVID-19 patients breached
Suraksha P reports: In a major breach of privacy, the Karnataka health department released personal details of all those quarantined in the state in the wake of COVID-19 virus to the media, complete with names, mobile numbers, temporary and permanent addresses. These included details of 23 passengers on the bus and 43 passengers on the…
Student privacy laws still apply if coronavirus just closed your school
Kate Cox reports: Hundreds of colleges and universities are suddenly shutting their doors and making a rapid switch to distance learning in an effort to slow the spread of novel coronavirus disease. Likewise, hundreds of K-12 districts nationwide have either already followed suit or are likely to in the coming days. Online education comes with a whole host of…
UK Supervisory Authority Issues Statement on Data Protection and Coronavirus
Dan Cooper and Luca Tosoni of Covington & Burling write: On March 12, 2020, the UK Supervisory Authority (“ICO”) issued a statement on data protection and coronavirus (“COVID-19”). The statement makes clear that the ICO will take a “reasonable and pragmatic” approach regarding compliance with the GDPR in light of the current health emergency. Similar to the…