Lawmakers to unveil bipartisan privacy bill to regulate contact-tracing apps

Senate lawmakers plan to unveil a bipartisan bill on Monday that would regulate contact-tracing and exposure-notification apps, seeking to ensure new digital tools meant to combat the coronavirus don’t come at the expense of users’ privacy.

The proposal, called the “Exposure Notification Privacy Act,” would erect federal guardrails around Silicon Valley’s nascent efforts to track people’s movements and alert them whenever they come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for covid-19. Democrats and Republicans led by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) say the legislation is necessary to ensure tracking isn’t forced on those who don’t want it — and to ensure any data that’s collected isn’t put to commercial use.

Source: Lawmakers to unveil bipartisan privacy bill to regulate contact-tracing apps – The Washington Post