Coronavirus: Commission adopts Recommendation to support exit strategies through mobile data and apps

The Commission recommends steps and measures to develop a common EU approach for the use of mobile applications and mobile data in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Digital tools can play an important role in the gradual lifting of containment measure, when the time will be ripe for that, if they are compliant with EU rules and well coordinated. The Recommendation sets out a process towards the adoption with the Member States of a toolbox, focusing on two dimensions:

• a pan-European coordinated approach for the use of mobile applications for empowering citizens to take effective and more targeted social distancing measures and for warning, preventing and contact tracing; and
• a common approach for modelling and predicting the evolution of the virus through anonymised and aggregated mobile location data.

The Recommendation sets out key principles for the use of these apps and data as regards data security and the respect of EU fundamental rights such as privacy and data protection.

Next steps:

Member States, together with the Commission, shall develop a toolbox towards a pan-European approach for mobile applications in association with the European Data Protection Board by 15 April 2020. To support Member States, the Commission will provide guidance including on data protection and privacy implications.Member States should report on the actions they have taken by 31 May 2020, and make the measures accessible to other Member States and the Commission for peer review. The Commission will assess the progress made and publish periodic reports starting in June 2020 and throughout the crisis, recommending action and/or the phasing out of measures that are no longer necessary.