For Immediate Release
S.T.O.P. Concerned By White House’s Reported Development of Coronavirus Surveillance System
Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy group, expressed concern at the White House’s reported development of a national coronavirus surveillance system. According to reporting from Politico, which the White House denied, senior adviser Jared Kushner’s COVID-19 task force requested private sector technology firms develop a national coronavirus tracking system, compiling patients’ health records and other data sources.
SEE: Kushner’s team seeks national coronavirus surveillance system
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/07/kushner-coronavirus-surveillance-174165
“Rather than trying to build an invasive surveillance network in the middle of this crisis, the White House could easily measure the need for federal assistance by listening to state and local officials’ cries for help,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “A federal health database would be deeply dangerous. We cannot trust the Trump administration with the health records of millions of Americans, especially if the data is collected without any protections against misuse by law enforcement or ICE. Not only will a hastily-built database have errors, the data will almost certainly be used by government agencies for investigations that have no connection to COVID-19.”
The New York civil rights group previously condemned a federal, state, and local partnership to use warrantless cellphone tracking to monitor compliance with COVID-19 social distancing requirements. The program reportedly collects information on Americans’ movements in over 500 cities, providing data to local officials, including police.
SEE: S.T.O.P. Condemns Federal, State Warrantless Cellphone Tracking Program For COVID-19 Social Distancing
https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2020/3/28/stop-condemns-federal-state-warrantless-cellphone-tracking-program-for-covid-19-social-distancing
The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider hosted by the Urban Justice Center. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color.
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CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn; .
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