On 8 June 2020, Jan Kleijssen, Director of the Information Society – Action against Crime, participated in an online panel on contact tracing, privacy and data governance of the Artificial Intelligence Governance Forum 2020.

Alongside Lenka Zdeborova (CNRS), Kim Seungryong (Korea University in Seoul), Marc Rotenberg (ex-EPIC), Yves-Alexandre de Montjoye (Imperial College), Luca Ferretti (University of Oxford) and Jean-Henri Morin (University of Geneva), Jan Kleijssen drew attention to the need for much more international co-operation on contact tracing apps. To be a useful complementary public health tool in the fight against COVID-19, these apps should meet the Council of Europe’s data protection standards (Joint Statement by Alessandra Pierucci and Jean-Philippe Walter) and be operable across borders.

As large segments of the population, in particular vulnerable groups such as the elderly, do not have the appropriate devices or the necessary skills, specific accompanying measures are also needed. Wide public trust is essential. This cannot be decreed but has to be earned.

• Relevant websites: Data Protection, COVID-19 and Data Protection and special page on contact tracing apps.