ISTANBUL (Technology) – Turkey shall be monitoring the mobile phones of those with a coronavirus diagnosis to make sure that they do not break quarantine. This marks the latest measure to stem the coronavirus outbreak which has surged over the last month.
Turkey will begin tracking citizens and message, call them every time they leave their homes, according to the presidency’s Communications Directorate.
They will be instructed to return home, police will penalise those violating quarantine rules adding that Turkish law allows the processing of personal data without consent for “exceptional aims”.
Turkey’s coronavirus cases have gone up to more than 34,000 with 725 deaths as of Tuesday.
Ankara is under strict measures to limit social contact, quarantining some towns, banning mass prayers, closing schools, bars and restaurants and limiting inter-city travel.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan repeatedly called on citizens self-impose their own quarantine, stopped short of imposing a broad stay-at-home order.
China, Singapore, South Korea and other countries have asked residents to use apps and other technology to track their compliance with quarantines, but privacy activists that this can compromise individual liberties.
The European Union is drawing up common rules for using mobile apps to track the spread of the virus, aiming to make better use of the technology and address privacy concerns.
Turkey’s government will ensure that the personal data collected will not be used for any other aim.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.