
The current fight against the pandemic may require measures that restrict our human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to Data Protection. In this respect, it is important to recall that data protection can in no manner be an obstacle to saving lives and that the applicable principles always allow for a balancing of the interests at stake.

The pandemic renders individuals and society extremely vulnerable in all respects, including in cyberspace. Malicious actors are exploiting these vulnerabilities. Criminal justice authorities need to engage in full cooperation to detect, investigate, attribute and prosecute COVID-19 related offences and bring criminals to justice.
With the Budapest Convention, a framework for effective cooperation with the necessary rule of law safeguards, is available to 65 States. As a result of capacity building programmes, including a recently launched series of webinars and an online resource, many States should now be able to act.