Summary

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, Joseph A. Cannataci, aims to shed further light on how pandemics can be managed with respect to the right to privacy. It is a more definitive analysis building on the report of the Special Rapporteur to the General Assembly in 2020 (A/75/147) now that there is greater evidence available to allow a more accurate assessment of the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The Special Rapporteur examines in particular the impact of measures to combat COVID-19 on data protection, technology and surveillance and notes that ongoing measures taken by States to control the spread of COVID-19 continue to negatively impact the enjoyment of the right to privacy and personality and other interrelated human rights. The report contains recommendations to State and non-State actors for strengthening privacy and personality; safeguard children’s access to online education; protect informational privacy; and ensure transparency and metrics.