IGF 2021 Open Forum #57 The role of regulation in a post pandemic context

The Covid19 pandemic promted many governments, non-state actors to use new emerging technologies in their battle to find solutions to curb the propagation of the virus. Several digital tools have emerged as part of national efforts to limit infection (mobile applications enabling to trace the contamination chain, self-diagnosis tools, etc.). In the light of recent developments, these digital tools now focus on two main areas: setting up a system enabling to store and provide health-related data on Covid-19 (e.g. about vaccination, evidence of past infection, tests’ results) and creating information systems for the organisation and monitoring of vaccination campaigns. While these measures have certainly contributed to the effectivness of concerted efforts in many countries their possible impacts on human rights have raised questions in many stakeholders. New data, hastily created large data base containing sensitive data, the use of new technologies, processing techniques commissioned by governments and developed and rolled out by orivate companies, national, regional efforts towards the interoperability of such programmes, enforcement by the police of some of the measures that have been enacted based on the outcome of these new programmes have left many questions unanswered. Is regulation enough to prevent harm or unnecassray or unproportionate intereference with human rights of individuals? Have the new regulation restricting, limiting human rights often for a better efficiency of new processing technologies will become the norm? Are current enforcement and redress avenues can take up the challange and ensure human rights can be fully exercised and if restricted that it complies with international standards? Are there international standards in restricting human rights? How will we deal with measures that have been taken as temporary? When and who will tell us it's over and we can get back to "normal"?

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