The temptation of coronavirus surveillance

Fighting the pandemic doesn't have to mean giving up on privacy

An eye.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

There is no shortage of things to worry about these days. Alas, you can add another to the list: so-called "covidiots": a trending tag on Twitter about people, say, gathering on beaches or in bars, ignoring all the warnings, or simply just not practicing social distancing.

It can be infuriating to see people act that way. It's enough to make one wonder: Can't we do more than simply shame them? Shouldn't government start to use the enormous technology apparatus at our disposal to enforce these vital public health policies?

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Navneet Alang

Navneet Alang is a technology and culture writer based out of Toronto. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, New Republic, Globe and Mail, and Hazlitt.