Google to publish user location data to help govts. tackle virus
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
Polity & Governance
- Published
3rd Apr, 2020
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- Google will publish location data from its users around the world from Friday to allow governments to gauge the effectiveness of social distancing measures put in place to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the tech giant said.
- The reports on users' movements in 131 countries will be made available on a special website and will "chart movement trends over time by geography.
- This information could help officials understand changes in essential trips that can shape recommendations on business hours or inform delivery service offerings.
- The reports will also employ a statistical technique that adds "artificial noise" to raw data, making it harder for users to be identified.
- In Europe and the United States, technology firms have begun sharing "anonymized" smartphone data to better track the outbreak. Even privacy-loving Germany is considering using a smartphone app to help manage the spread of the disease.
