Privacy rights may become next victim of killer pandemic

Privacy rights may become next victim of killer pandemic

殺手病毒肆虐 下一個受害者可能是你的隱私

【摘要2020.6.1.自由】◎陳成良

Digital surveillance and smartphone technology may prove helpful in containing the novel coronavirus pandemic – but some activists fear this could mean lasting harm to privacy and digital rights.

數位監控與智慧手機技術或許證明有助於控制新型冠狀病毒大流行疫情，但部分維權人士擔心，這可能對個人隱私與數位權利帶來長久傷害。

These moves have prompted soul-searching by privacy activists who acknowledge the need for technology to save lives while fretting over the potential for abuse.

隱私維權人士一方面承認科技對救命不可或缺，另一方面卻又對科技可能遭到濫用惶惶不安，這些行動促使他們反思。

"Governments around the world are demanding extraordinary new surveillance powers intended to contain the virus’ spread," the Electronic Frontier Foundation said in an online post.

隱私倡議團體「電子邊疆基金會」在線上貼文中指出：「全世界的政府都在要求額外的新監控權力，以遏阻病毒擴散。」

"Many would invade our privacy, deter our free speech, and disparately burden vulnerable groups of people. Governments must show that such powers would actually be effective, science-based, necessary, and proportionate."

「許多權力可能侵犯我們的隱私，阻撓我們的言論自由，對脆弱的族群帶來異常負擔。各國政府必須讓大家看到，這樣的權力真的能夠發揮效用、有科學根據、有必要，而且符合比例。」

新聞辭典

pandemic：形容詞，（疾病等）普遍流行的、蔓延各地的；當名詞時，指大流行病。反義字為endemic，指（疾病等）地方性的。

fret over/about someone or something：慣用語，煩躁不安；苦惱，發愁。

proportionate：形容詞，相稱的、按比例的。例句︰Wages will rise at a rate proportionate to expense.（工資將按照與開支相稱的比例增加。）