Episode 44: Michael Birnhack on Israeli Use of Cellphone Tracking to Combat the Spread of Coronavirus

October 28, 2021 00:24:56
Episode 44: Michael Birnhack on Israeli Use of Cellphone Tracking to Combat the Spread of Coronavirus
Law Bytes
Episode 44: Michael Birnhack on Israeli Use of Cellphone Tracking to Combat the Spread of Coronavirus

Oct 28 2021 | 00:24:56

/

Show Notes

With experts warning that the Coronavirus pandemic may last well into next year, the urgency of limiting the spread of the virus is sure to increase. Cellphone and social media data will increasingly be viewed as a valuable source of information for public health authorities, as they seek to identify outbreaks in communities more quickly, rapidly warn people that they may have been exposed to the virus, or enforce quarantining orders. Israel has implemented a system that involves the collection and use of cellphone location data to identify at-risk individuals, who may receive text messages warning that they need to self-quarantine. That system has been challenged at the Israeli Supreme Court, which last week rejected elements of the plan and established a requirement of Israeli parliament approval for the measures. Tel Aviv University law professor Michael Birnhack joins me on the podcast to discuss the details of the measures and the civil liberties and democratic concerns they raise, even at a time of global crisis.

The podcast can be downloaded here and is embedded below. Subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcast, Google Play, Spotify or the RSS feed. Updates on the podcast on Twitter at @Lawbytespod.

Credits:

i24 News, Israeli Gov’t Approves COVID19 Mass Surveillance Measure

Other Episodes

Episode 0

October 28, 2021 00:26:03
Episode Cover

Episode 43: Heather Joseph on the Coronavirus and the Urgent Need for Open Access to Research Publications

Over the past several weeks, our world has been upended by Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic. Given the head-spinning changes taking place in our society,...

Listen

Episode

September 30, 2024 00:33:35
Episode Cover

Episode 214: Erin Millar on Trust in Media and the Implementation of the Online News Act

Questions about trust in the media have escalated in Canada in recent months as with each error or questionable tweet, there is seemingly an...

Listen

Episode 0

July 15, 2024 00:26:39
Episode Cover

Episode 209: Peter Menzies on Why the Canadian News Sector is Broken and How to Fix It

It isn’t news that the Canadian news sector is broken: the Online News Act has caused more harm the good, the dependence on government...

Listen