Google to release location data to help fight Covid-19

Team Udayavani, Apr 5, 2020, 11:47 AM IST

Google is publicly releasing the data it’s already collecting about people’s movements during the coronavirus pandemic.

Although many disagree, Google says its data collection policies are only to improve its services and make it more relevant to the users.

However, Google usually does not reveal how it can follow and track people but during a pandemic where public health is placed above privacy, the Covid-19 Mobility Report will be helpful for distributing police and health resources.

It is said that, Google has published this data for at least 130 countries, using data from billions of users’ phones who have their location History enabled on their Google accounts.

Google says that it will preserve users’ privacy, and only publish the activity that took place 48 to 72 hours prior to show how busy locations including homes and public places are.

It said that no personal information such as an individual’s location, contacts or movement, will be made available at any point.

Google hopes that the data could be used to help make decisions about how to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.