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European mobile operators share data for coronavirus fight – Source Reuters Tech News

MILAN/BERLIN (Reuters) – Mobile carriers are sharing data with the health authorities in Italy, Germany and Austria, helping to fight coronavirus by monitoring whether people are complying with curbs on movement while at the same time respecting Europe’s privacy laws.

FILE PHOTO: A man takes a picture of a coronavirus warning sign with his mobile phone at the closed main entrance to the administration headquarters of the district of Heinsberg, Germany, February 26, 2020. The sign reads “Due to a confirmed coronavirus case the administrative building of the district of Heinsberg remains closed on Wednesday”. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo

The data, which are anonymous and aggregated, make it possible to map concentrations and movements of customers in ‘hot zones’ where COVID-19 has taken hold.

That is less invasive than the approach taken by countries like China, Taiwan and South Korea, which use smartphone location readings to trace the contacts of individuals who have…

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Source Reuters Tech News

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