European data protection authorities have issued important
guidance on the processing of personal data in connection with
COVID-19.
At a pan-European level, on March 19, 2020, the European Data
Protection Board issued a statement on the processing of personal data in
the context of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The EDPB has adopted a pragmatic stance in light of the severity
of the pandemic. The EDPB has recognized that the processing of
special categories of personal data – specifically,
information relating to individuals' health – may be
necessary to combat the outbreak, but has reminded organizations
that the GDPR's existing protections on the processing of
personal data – including data minimization – remain in
place.
