Data protection in times of Covid-19

Comparative perspectives from Europe and beyond

From a comparative perspective the Covid-19 pandemic provides a unique grand-scale life experience: nearly all countries have been confronted with a similar issue, that of quickly fighting the pandemic, balancing individual health with the sustainability of the national health system, and juggling economic imperatives with the duty to care for the most vulnerable individuals in society. Access and use of data are key to this difficult balancing exercise. One question arises: is the Covid-19 pandemic conducive to developing shared legal strategies or does it reinforce cultural legal features when it comes to data protection? Blogdroiteuropeen asked experts in data protection to reflect on key developments in their national systems. Although no definitive answer is possible as Covid-19 is not over yet, indicative trends are emerging, which may be useful to take on board when domestic legal systems seek inspiration abroad in the post-Covid-19 society.